Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to The LM builder

The last of their line.

Excluding Communist China, the next
human missions to the moon [either ESA, NASA, or RKA] will involve open-cockpit
lunar-landers. The reason?
The Apollo LEM had a mass of 17,000kg,
requiring a Saturn-5 rocket.
Does anybody seriously think that
NASA, ESA or the Russians have the funds
anymore to build those giant moon-rockets?

Back in the 1960's,engineers planned a 5000Ib [2300kg] single-astronaut, open-cockpit lunar lander as an alternative to the Apollo LEM.

A two-man, open cockpit lunar lander
would thus have a weight of
10,000Ibs [4600kg], or less.
The most powerful version of the up-and-coming AtlasV rocketbooster
will be able to send upto 10,500kg
to the moon. More than enough to send a 4,600kg open-cockpit two-seater [with it's propulsion module to park it in LLO.

Jacob

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