tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062571400334852082.post5694967705840423331..comments2015-03-06T12:15:29.825-08:00Comments on Armchair engineering: Low Cost Lunar Missions part 2: A lunar highwayMarijn Molemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10374646748718489690noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062571400334852082.post-89479320961304129852014-06-09T21:47:39.735-07:002014-06-09T21:47:39.735-07:00I have a similar architecture using a Falcon Heavy...I have a similar architecture using a Falcon Heavy and going to the lunar poles for ice- derived propellant. CisLunarOne.comDougSpacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03057371106251356495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062571400334852082.post-50902568153721483972014-01-25T13:31:11.759-08:002014-01-25T13:31:11.759-08:00Nice ideas here. It is very important to note we c... Nice ideas here. It is very important to note we can return to the Moon by adapting currently existing components. Then manned flights to the lunar surface or to a L2 station can be done at per flight costs of a few hundred million dollars, not the billions of dollars per fight assumed by NASA. This is an order of magnitude reduction in the per flight costs. Even more importantly since you are using essentially already existing stages the development costs would also be in the few hundred million dollars range. This is *two orders* of magnitude cheaper than the development costs of NASA that proposes huge, newly developed HLV's such as the Ares V or SLS, as well as all newly developed in-space stages and landers.<br /> As an example of a low cost lander Dave Masten of Masten Space Systems estimates he can develop a Centaur-derived lunar lander for $50 million. See the video here about 15 minutes in:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzlJd3Pbpxg<br /><br /> It is notable then that the cryogenic upper stage of the Ariane 5 has a similar high mass ratio as the Centaur of about 10 to 1, with the high Isp of a hydrogen fueled stage. It's about half size to the Centaur so it can carry about 3 metric tons as a manned capsule. This would be adequate for a Cygnus-derived manned capsule.<br /><br /> Bob ClarkRobert Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16114043697010364282noreply@blogger.com