There's no lander because Luna isn't the destination.That's still up in the air.The next POTUS will either decide on a new destination or more likely just stick to the "unknown asteroid in 2025" so he/she doesn't have to increase funding.
Mars and asteroids may not be the destinations you like, but it isn't just blathering.
Despite the smokescreen and delays we are going back to the Moon.
Quote from: HappyMartian on 03/23/2013 04:38 pmDespite the smokescreen and delays we are going back to the Moon.I hope so.
One of the advantages of using EML2 is that there is a powered lunar flyby trajectory that requires less delta-V than a normal LOI. The same is true for the return to Earth.
Unfortunately, actually going to the Moon is unfunded blather and will remain so for the foreseeable future, at least as far as the USA is concerned. You'd probably be better off channeling your energies trying to convince the Chinese of the wisdom of Lunar ISRU.
The only piece missing from getting Americans and other folks on the polar Lunar surface and doing propellant ISRU from known ice deposits is a reusable hydrolox Lander.
...Congress has shown no political or financial support for expanding manned space flight despite decades of taking every opportunity to SAY the opposite. Words of course "cost" nothing either politically or financialy, while active support by political or financial means does "cost" and it is very clear that Congress has not been willing to put "money" where their "mouths" are for decades....Randy
You can have a costly and unneeded high maintenance white elephant L2 space station and lots of asteroid and Mars fantasies that are loudly supported by NASA's current leadership, or you can have regular, efficient, international, affordable, and direct missions to the Lunar polar surface to do ISRU. Pick one. If you think there are more choices, show us where the money will come from.
Quote from: HappyMartian on 03/28/2013 02:03 pmThe only piece missing from getting Americans and other folks on the polar Lunar surface and doing propellant ISRU from known ice deposits is a reusable hydrolox Lander. Well, that and delivering the equipment to mine the ice-containing material(*), extract the water, dissociate the water into H2 and O2, store either the water or H2/O2 until needed, and then deliver it to whatever is going to use it.
.....Lunar ISRU is an interesting idea that has received considerable encouragement from the well-known radar/neutron/impact results. It deserves to be pursued seriously, but at the present time there are many unknowns that tend to be obscured by much hand-waving. Landing some robotic prospectors at the promising polar regions to find out what's actually there would be a good start.(*) Once we've determined what that material is and what it would take to mine and process it.
Quote from: ChileVerde on 03/28/2013 10:42 pmQuote from: HappyMartian on 03/28/2013 02:03 pmThe only piece missing from getting Americans and other folks on the polar Lunar surface and doing propellant ISRU from known ice deposits is a reusable hydrolox Lander. Well, that and delivering the equipment to mine the ice-containing material(*), extract the water, dissociate the water into H2 and O2, store either the water or H2/O2 until needed, and then deliver it to whatever is going to use it.Well, all that and the instructions from political and executive leadership to actually do all that...Of course, the precursor robotic, teleoperated, power generation, prospecting, extraction, dissassociation, pumping into tanks, firing of return rockets, need to happen at a demonstration scale as well, over the course of five to maybe ten years.All of which as Ben points out, has not been funded.
Quote from: HappyMartian on 03/29/2013 10:03 amYou can have a costly and unneeded high maintenance white elephant L2 space station and lots of asteroid and Mars fantasies that are loudly supported by NASA's current leadership, or you can have regular, efficient, international, affordable, and direct missions to the Lunar polar surface to do ISRU. Pick one. If you think there are more choices, show us where the money will come from. Ironically, you are missing that the latter of your two 'choices' is not funded either. Show us where the money is coming from for international ISRU-based lunar landing? Here's a clue - it isn't. It's your personal fantasy.