Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to The New Lunar lander And New Moon/Mars Crew Vehicles

At least the CEV is okay
E.P. — (archived)

of course, landing operations are more expensive than with Klipr, and the Klipr will be available in a lunar variant, but the CEV isd okay. CEV has oxygen-alcohol engines, great combo, better than current hypergolics on Klipr. I thought for a long time that it might be alcohol-peroxide, but spontaneous decomposition problems are terrible. Oxygen-alcohol fuel can be cut over to life support, if need be.

The LSAM design stinks. Oxygne-methane engines are good, though. Fly all that mass to the Moon and then leave it there. That's why you want to have a station in lunar orbit, as the current Russian architecture proposes. You can also get away from the expense of heavy lift launchers if you want to, or simply don't have the money to spend.

I've seen so many new viewgraphs over the years - clean back to the ones showing the shutttels being used for manned Moon and Mars. And the Apollo applications, and the first manned Mars, clean back to the very start, and in several languages at that. Most came to nothing, as the real problem is coming up with a necessary reason for making the expenditure. The technology has always been there, what has been lacking has been a reason for building it.

Let's hope this one doesn't end up as SEI 2.

Log in or register to post.

The whole thread (40 posts)