Lockheed Martin Lunar Lander

Last updated
Mars-Precursor Lunar Lander
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin
DesignerLockheed Martin
Country of originUnited States
OperatorProposed: Lockheed Martin / NASA
ApplicationsReusable crewed lunar lander
Specifications
Spacecraft typeCrewed lunar lander
Design life≈ 10 flights [1] [2]
Launch mass62 metric tons [1]
Dry mass22 metric tons [1] [2]
Payload capacity1,000 kg (2,200 lb) [1]
Crew capacity4 [1] [3]
DimensionsHeight: 14 m (46 ft) [1] [2]
Production
StatusProposed
Related spacecraft
Flown withProposed: Lunar Gateway

The Lockheed Martin Lunar Lander is a series of design concepts by Lockheed Martin for a crewed lunar lander.

Contents

The first proposal, Mars-Precursor Lunar Lander [1] is a reusable crewed lunar lander first unveiled in October 2018, and it is being proposed to NASA for funding and fabrication. NASA specified that it would wait until 2024 to decide the date and method for a crewed lunar lander, and have hinted at seeking a crewed lander no heavier than 6 t (13,000 lb). [2] The reusable lander would enable sustainable lunar surface exploration. The second proposal, revealed on 10 April 2019, is a 2-stage lander proposed to meet Vice President Mike Pence's challenge to return humans to the Moon by 2024. [4]

Both proposals are based on Orion spacecraft's hardware, and are designed to take astronauts from the Lunar Gateway — a proposed habitat that NASA plans to build in orbit around the Moon — to the lunar surface and advance technology needed to explore Mars.

Overview

In 2016, Lockheed Martin announced their architecture concepts for a crewed Mars mission and related vehicles that include the Mars Base Camp (a crewed orbiting Mars station), the Orion spacecraft, and the Mars Ascent/Descent Vehicle (MADV). [1] Lockheed Martin hopes that the lunar activities will help develop precursor infrastructure and experience for a Mars expedition. [5] [6] The crewed lunar lander, if built, would be used to develop the Mars MADV lander. The lunar lander concept was presented in October 2018, and it envisions a single-stage, fully reusable lander system capable of taking off to return to the orbiting Lunar Gateway. [3]

The initial concept would accommodate a crew of four and approximately 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of cargo payload on the surface for up to two weeks before returning to the Gateway without refueling on the surface. [3] After a surface mission, it would return to the Gateway, where it can be refueled, serviced, and then kept docked to the orbiting Gateway until the next surface mission. Because the Moon lacks an atmosphere, the lander would not have to endure the heat and ablation during atmospheric re-entry, which expands its service time and reduces significantly the labor and costs of refurbishment. [3] Many of its key systems, including the crew pressure vessel, avionics, life support, communications, controls, and navigation systems, were already developed for the new Orion spacecraft. [1] [3]

Concept of operations

The Mars-Precursor Lunar Lander would be a single-stage reusable vehicle able to transport a crew of 4, up to one ton (1,000 kg or 2,200 lb) of usable cargo, and operate for up to 2 weeks on the lunar surface before returning to the lunar orbiting Gateway for refuelling and service. [1] [5] The lander would be able to land anywhere on the Moon, including the lunar poles as well as lower latitude sites on the lunar far side. [1] The vehicle's operational lifetime would be between 4 and 10 flights. [1] [2]

Preliminary specifications

The Mars-Precursor Lunar Lander would be 14 m (46 ft) tall, making it twice as tall as the Apollo Lunar Module used during the Apollo missions. [2] It would have an elevator to get the crew down from the cabin to the surface. [2]

The lander concept envisions the use of the pressure vessel of the Orion spacecraft, and some of Orion's existing systems such as life support, controls, and some avionics, so Lockheed Martin officials think that construction time would be relatively short. [2] Its proposed four engines are a variant of the RL10 that uses the bi-propellant liquid oxygen / liquid hydrogen, generating an estimated impulse (delta-v) of 5 km/s (3.1 mi/s). [2] [1] [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

Constellation program Cancelled 2005–2010 United States human spaceflight program, aimed at crewed exploration of the Moon, Mars, and minor planets

The Constellation Program is a cancelled crewed spaceflight program developed by NASA, the space agency of the United States, from 2005 to 2009. The major goals of the program were "completion of the International Space Station" and a "return to the Moon no later than 2020" with a crewed flight to the planet Mars as the ultimate goal. The program's logo reflected the three stages of the program: the Earth (ISS), the Moon, and finally Mars—while the Mars goal also found expression in the name given to the program's booster rockets: Ares. The technological aims of the program included the regaining of significant astronaut experience beyond low Earth orbit and the development of technologies necessary to enable sustained human presence on other planetary bodies.

Altair (spacecraft) Planned lander spacecraft component of NASAs cancelled Project Constellation

The Altair spacecraft, previously known as the Lunar Surface Access Module or LSAM, was the planned lander spacecraft component of NASA's cancelled Constellation program. Astronauts would have used the spacecraft for landings on the Moon, which was intended to begin around 2019. The Altair spacecraft was planned to be used both for lunar sortie and lunar outpost missions. On February 1, 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama announced a proposal to cancel the Constellation program, to be replaced with a re-scoped program, effective with the U.S. 2011 fiscal year budget.

Crew Exploration Vehicle Planned orbiter component of NASAs cancelled Project Constellation; became Orion crew vehicle

The Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) was a component of the U.S. NASA Vision for Space Exploration plan. A competition was held to design a spacecraft that could carry humans to the destinations envisioned by the plan. The winning design was the Orion spacecraft.

Human mission to Mars Various proposed crewed mission concepts to Mars

A human mission to Mars has been the subject of science fiction, aerospace engineering and scientific proposals since the 20th century. Plans include landing on Mars for exploration at a minimum, with the possibility of sending settlers and terraforming the planet or exploring its moons Phobos and Deimos also considered.

Space tug Used to transfer cargo from one orbit to another

A space tug is a type of spacecraft used to transfer spaceborne cargo from one orbit to another orbit with different energy characteristics. An example would be moving a spacecraft from a low Earth orbit (LEO) to a higher-energy orbit like a geostationary transfer orbit, a lunar transfer, or an escape trajectory.

Orion (spacecraft) American–European spacecraft class in development for the Artemis program

Orion is a class of partially reusable space capsules to be used in NASA's human spaceflight programs. The spacecraft consists of a Crew Module (CM) designed by Lockheed Martin and the European Service Module (ESM) manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space. Capable of supporting a crew of six beyond low Earth orbit, Orion can last up to 21 days undocked and up to six months docked. It is equipped with solar panels, an automated docking system, and glass cockpit interfaces modeled after those used in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. A single AJ10 engine provides the spacecraft's primary propulsion, while eight R-4D-11 engines, and six pods of custom reaction control system engines developed by Airbus, provide the spacecraft's secondary propulsion. Although compatible with other launch vehicles, Orion is primarily designed to launch atop a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with a tower launch escape system.

Artemis 2 Second orbital flight of the Artemis program

Artemis 2 is the first scheduled crewed mission of NASA's Orion spacecraft, currently planned to be launched by the Space Launch System in August 2023. The current plan is for a crewed Orion spacecraft to perform a lunar flyby test and return to Earth. This is planned to be the first crewed spacecraft to travel beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Artemis 3 Third orbital flight of the Artemis program

Artemis 3 is the third planned flight of NASA's Orion spacecraft to be launched on the Space Launch System. Scheduled for launch in October 2024, Artemis 3 is planned to be the second crewed mission of the Artemis program and the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Mars Base Camp Concept Mars orbiter

Mars Base Camp (MBC) is a crewed Mars laboratory orbiter concept under study that was commissioned by NASA from Lockheed Martin in US. It would use both future and proven concepts as well as the Orion MPCV, also built by Lockheed Martin.

Deep Space Transport A crewed interplanetary spacecraft concept

The Deep Space Transport (DST), also called Mars Transit Vehicle, is a crewed interplanetary spacecraft concept by NASA to support science exploration missions to Mars of up to 1,000 days. It would be composed of two elements: an Orion capsule and a propelled habitation module. As of late 2019, the DST is still a concept to be studied, and NASA has not officially proposed the project in an annual U.S. federal government budget cycle. The DST vehicle would depart and return from the Lunar Gateway to be serviced and reused for a new Mars mission.

Lunar Gateway Lunar orbital space station under development

The Lunar Gateway, or simply the Gateway, is a planned small space station in lunar orbit intended to serve as a solar-powered communication hub, science laboratory, short-term habitation module, and holding area for rovers and other robots. It is expected to play a major role in NASA's Artemis program, after 2024. While the project is led by NASA, the Gateway is meant to be developed, serviced, and utilized in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and commercial partners. It will serve as the staging point for both robotic and crewed exploration of the lunar south pole, and is the proposed staging point for NASA's Deep Space Transport concept for transport to Mars. Formerly known as the Deep Space Gateway (DSG), the station was renamed Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway (LOP-G) in NASA's 2018 proposal for the 2019 United States federal budget. When the budgeting process was complete, US$332 million had been committed by Congress to preliminary studies.

<i>Blue Moon</i> (spacecraft) Cargo carrier and lander

Blue Moon is a robotic space cargo carrier and lander for making cargo deliveries to the Moon. Designed and operated by Blue Origin for use on a mission aimed for 2024, Blue Moon derives from the vertical landing technology used in Blue Origin's New Shepard sub-orbital rocket.

Artemis program Current U.S. spaceflight program aimed at crewed exploration of the lunar surface

The Artemis program is a U.S. government-funded international human spaceflight program that has the goal of landing "the first woman and the next man" on the Moon, specifically at the lunar south pole region, by 2024. The program is carried out predominantly by NASA, U.S. commercial spaceflight companies contracted by NASA, and international partners including the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the Italian Space Agency (ASI) the Australian Space Agency (ASA), the UK Space Agency (UKSA), the United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) the State Space Agency of Ukraine, and the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB). NASA is leading the program, but expects international partnerships to play a key role in advancing Artemis as the next step towards the long-term goal of establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon, laying the foundation for private companies to build a lunar economy, and eventually sending humans to Mars.

Boeing Lunar Lander

The Boeing Human Landing System (HLS) was the name of a proposed lunar lander concept by Boeing that was submitted by Boeing to NASA on 5 November 2019 as part of the Artemis program and the NextSTEP H. The proposal was presented as the "quickest and simplest method" for a 2024 Moon landing. The lunar lander concept was not selected for funding by NASA as part of Artemis in the 30 April 2020 announcement.

The Integrated Lander Vehicle is a human spaceflight lunar lander design concept for the NASA Human Landing System component of the Artemis program, currently aiming to return humans to the Moon by 2024. Blue Origin is the lead contractor for the multi-element lunar lander that would include major components from several large US government space contractors including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Draper Laboratory.

The Dynetics Autonomous Logistics Platform for All-Moon Cargo Access (ALPACA) is a crewed lunar lander under development by Dynetics and Sierra Nevada Corporation as well as a multitude of subcontractors for NASA's Artemis Program.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Cichan, Timothy; Bailey, Stephen A.; et al. (1–5 October 2018). Concept for a Crewed Lunar Lander Operating from the Lunar Orbiting Platform-Gateway (PDF). 69th International Astronautical Congress. Bremen, Germany: International Astronautical Federation . Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Berger, Eric (3 October 2018). "Lockheed Martin proposes a mega-lunar lander: 62 tons and an elevator". Ars Technica . Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Lockheed Martin Reveals New Human Lunar Lander Concept". Lockheed Martin (Press release). 3 October 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  4. ↑ Smith, Heather (11 April 2019). "Lockheed Martin unveils Orion-based Moon lander concept". SpaceFlight Insider. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 "Lunar Lander Proposal Unveiled by Lockheed Martin". Technology.org. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  6. ↑ "Lockheed Martin Reveals Crewed Lunar Lander Concept" (Press release). Defense Media Network. 6 October 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.