Looks like another mock-up has been built.Photos taken from reddit.
Quote from: manboy on 12/02/2012 06:36 pmLooks like another mock-up has been built.Photos taken from reddit.I wonder if the mock-up on the right is an older version that was brought back (for what?). The quality of the build does not look as good as the MMSEV on the left.
Quote from: BrightLight on 12/05/2012 06:57 pmQuote from: manboy on 12/02/2012 06:36 pmLooks like another mock-up has been built.Photos taken from reddit.I wonder if the mock-up on the right is an older version that was brought back (for what?). The quality of the build does not look as good as the MMSEV on the left.One on right looks more realistic. Like an Apollo Lunar Module reboot. Smaller, more efficient.
Quote from: Robotbeat on 12/05/2012 07:22 pmQuote from: BrightLight on 12/05/2012 06:57 pmQuote from: manboy on 12/02/2012 06:36 pmLooks like another mock-up has been built.Photos taken from reddit.I wonder if the mock-up on the right is an older version that was brought back (for what?). The quality of the build does not look as good as the MMSEV on the left.One on right looks more realistic. Like an Apollo Lunar Module reboot. Smaller, more efficient.Image on the right has the hatch closed and access to the hatch area blockled off, while the image on the left has both the hatch and hatch access open. To me that indicates that the SEV mockup on the left is currently active and is likely the most current design.
Quote from: clongton on 12/05/2012 08:01 pmQuote from: Robotbeat on 12/05/2012 07:22 pmQuote from: BrightLight on 12/05/2012 06:57 pmQuote from: manboy on 12/02/2012 06:36 pmLooks like another mock-up has been built.Photos taken from reddit.I wonder if the mock-up on the right is an older version that was brought back (for what?). The quality of the build does not look as good as the MMSEV on the left.One on right looks more realistic. Like an Apollo Lunar Module reboot. Smaller, more efficient.Image on the right has the hatch closed and access to the hatch area blockled off, while the image on the left has both the hatch and hatch access open. To me that indicates that the SEV mockup on the left is currently active and is likely the most current design.Or it could be they're readying the design on the right.Either way, I hope they get the design nailed down enough to start producing engineering test articles one of these years. Lighter the better, as long as you can fit 2 crew comfortably (ala Apollo) and 4 for long enough for transit to and from the surface (of the Moon, another moon, or even perhaps Mars).
Nothing really solid (RE:landing the SEV), but it has been mentioned in a few places. The one on the right DOES look awfully like the Apollo LM cabin.
Quote from: Robotbeat on 12/05/2012 08:52 pmNothing really solid (RE:landing the SEV), but it has been mentioned in a few places. The one on the right DOES look awfully like the Apollo LM cabin.maybe a separate thread "what would it take to land the SEV on the moon"- could the rocket pack get the SEV back to LLO, or a separate ascent vehicle, is it better to have a short duration lander where the astronauts transfer to the SEV for a week, similar to the Boeing proposal. Cargo lander down mass for the SEV - many questions.
Quote from: Robotbeat on 12/05/2012 08:52 pmNothing really solid (RE:landing the SEV), but it has been mentioned in a few places. The one on the right DOES look awfully like the Apollo LM cabin.Which is the 1st clue to me that it is the "older" design. They started with what worked before and ended up with what's on the left by incorporating "lessons learned" from dealing with that design.Of course YMMV
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Quote from: Robotbeat on 12/05/2012 09:07 pm ...Like I said - YMMV
Quote from: clongton on 12/05/2012 09:11 pmQuote from: Robotbeat on 12/05/2012 09:07 pm ...Like I said - YMMVMaybe you just /want/ the larger design to be the newer one? All good evidence points to the smaller one being new.
You know, If you stretched it out about 5 feet from behind the side hatches, (Putting the suits in their own clamshell enclosures on each side) setup a standard docking hatch on the far end, docked it with a hab module surrounded by a Human Rated Skycrane landing stage, that could work quite nicely. Bring the six wheeled Rover platform uder it, lift and detach, and you have a lunar rover, and a basic lunar base module. When the mission is over, redock the front module, reload the flight software , refuel from the robotic tanker (from the L-2 fuel depot) that landed near the craft, and take off again. Tanker type automated landers would likely be similar in configuration to the Falcon 9 Grasshopper that SpaceX is experimenting with, but with only 2 to 3 main engines. Comparitively, the tanker would only need a small fraction of the total fuel load to land in 1/6th Gee, and after offloading the majority of the fuel to the reusable lunar lander, only a fraction of the fuel to launch again and set up a spiral orbit to rendevous with the L-2 fuel and supply depot. (Somehow, I keep wanting to call it Stucky's One) The lander would then take off and dock with the Orion based tug to return the craft to it's garage at L-2, where it can be checked out maintenanced and refurbished for the next lunar landing. Simply put, the current system of disposable stages and rockets is unbelivably wasteful and drives the per launch costs right through the roof. The ONLY way space development can become economical is either developing reusable craft and stages or making the upper stages part of the payload packages themselves. (Dry for wet habitat modules, etc). But I'm getting off topic. Not only does this multi-use module have much better viewing capibilities, I suspect it has vast untapped potentile for near space to deep space uses.Jason
Quote from: Robotbeat on 12/05/2012 08:05 pmQuote from: clongton on 12/05/2012 08:01 pmQuote from: Robotbeat on 12/05/2012 07:22 pmQuote from: BrightLight on 12/05/2012 06:57 pmQuote from: manboy on 12/02/2012 06:36 pmLooks like another mock-up has been built.Photos taken from reddit.I wonder if the mock-up on the right is an older version that was brought back (for what?). The quality of the build does not look as good as the MMSEV on the left.One on right looks more realistic. Like an Apollo Lunar Module reboot. Smaller, more efficient.Image on the right has the hatch closed and access to the hatch area blockled off, while the image on the left has both the hatch and hatch access open. To me that indicates that the SEV mockup on the left is currently active and is likely the most current design.Or it could be they're readying the design on the right.Either way, I hope they get the design nailed down enough to start producing engineering test articles one of these years. Lighter the better, as long as you can fit 2 crew comfortably (ala Apollo) and 4 for long enough for transit to and from the surface (of the Moon, another moon, or even perhaps Mars).i don't recall a "rocket pack" that was big enough to support a lunar landing, is there a citation\thread for this - if so way cool, I like the MMSEV concept. certainly the in-space version will be just fine for asteroid operations, but I question the moon lander mods.