NASA is interested in the Moon again. This week the space agency issued a new "request for information" to the aerospace industry for cargo transportation to the lunar surface. This new opportunity appears to represent NASA's increasing willingness to reconsider the Moon as a destination for human spaceflight.Offered jointly by the agency's science, human spaceflight, and technology directorates, in its new request NASA seeks to partner with the commercial sector to deliver scientific payloads to the Moon. "NASA has identified a variety of exploration, science, and technology demonstration objectives that could be addressed by sending instruments, experiments, or other payloads to the lunar surface," the document states. "To address these objectives as cost-effectively as possible, NASA may procure payloads and related commercial payload delivery services to the Moon."Specifically, the request seeks opportunities as early as fiscal year 2018, running through the next decade for "agreed-upon" locations on the Moon, and the provision of power, communications, and thermal control both during the flight and on the surface of the Moon. Additionally, in the request, NASA says it may also seek the return of lunar samples to Earth.
Lunar Surface Cargo Transportation Services Request for Information (RFI)Solicitation Number: NNH17ZDA006LAgency: National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationOffice: HeadquartersLocation: HQ Code 210.H
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD), Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate and the Space Technology Mission Directorate are soliciting information under this Request for Information (RFI) to determine whether or not there are interested and available domestic vendor sources capable of meeting the identified requirements. This document is for information and planning purposes only and to allow industry the opportunity to verify reasonableness and feasibility of the requirement, as well as promote competition. NASA is seeking capability statements from all interested parties...
In testimony Sept. 7 at a House space subcommittee hearing on private lunar exploration, Jason Crusan, director of advanced exploration systems at NASA, said the agency was developing a call for proposals for such services after evaluating the results from a request for information (RFI) earlier in the year.“What we are now looking at doing is actually buying landed delivery services in the next fiscal year, of actually buying the first ability to land small payloads,” he said. “We’re preparing for the solicitation as we speak.”
The requirement is to provide a commercial launch and landing service on existing or forthcoming FAA licensed commercial missions to the lunar surface for NASA primary payloads, NASA secondary payloads, or NASA hosted payloads, with the potential to also procure data from any commercial lunar surface missions and/or return payloads or samples to the Earth.Services will include:(1) Physical and analytical integration of the NASA payloads or instruments onto the existing or forthcoming commercial mission;(2) Transportation to the Moon for the NASA payloads or instruments, to include landing and surface access to agreed-upon locations on the Lunar surface; and(3) Provision of "utilities" such as power, communications, thermal control, etc., during launch integration, launch and cruise phase, and perhaps for a limited period of time after landing.Services could also include:(1) The purchase of science or engineering data provided by contractor payloads; and(2) The return of payload and/or samples to the Earth.
{snip}Many people speculate that this is an evolution of Lunar Catalyst. Looking at the companies involved in that program all of them are offering expendable landers with light payloads (up to 100s of kg).
Quote from: DreamyPickle on 09/13/2017 09:45 pm{snip}Many people speculate that this is an evolution of Lunar Catalyst. Looking at the companies involved in that program all of them are offering expendable landers with light payloads (up to 100s of kg).Blue Moon from Blue Origin should be able to land several tons of payload.The XEUS lander from Masten Space plus ULA is designed to be reusable. Depending which version actually flies it may deliver 5 tonnes or probably 25 tonnes of payload to the lunar surface.
Quote from: A_M_Swallow on 09/14/2017 06:23 pmQuote from: DreamyPickle on 09/13/2017 09:45 pm{snip}Many people speculate that this is an evolution of Lunar Catalyst. Looking at the companies involved in that program all of them are offering expendable landers with light payloads (up to 100s of kg).Blue Moon from Blue Origin should be able to land several tons of payload.The XEUS lander from Masten Space plus ULA is designed to be reusable. Depending which version actually flies it may deliver 5 tonnes or probably 25 tonnes of payload to the lunar surface.ULA actually has plans to do a Vulcan ACES XEUS lander (5m diameter tank with 60mt of possible prop). As a one way lander could land up to 60mt. As a reusable lander probably about 50mt and return to LLO empty.So as Power Point landers go this one is significant based on a great deal of hardware in existance and other parts that have been prototypes. But still it would take years to do the detail design and build of an actual lander once Vulcan ACES actually flies in the early 2020's.
Quote from: oldAtlas_Eguy on 09/15/2017 12:00 amQuote from: A_M_Swallow on 09/14/2017 06:23 pmQuote from: DreamyPickle on 09/13/2017 09:45 pm{snip}Many people speculate that this is an evolution of Lunar Catalyst. Looking at the companies involved in that program all of them are offering expendable landers with light payloads (up to 100s of kg).Blue Moon from Blue Origin should be able to land several tons of payload.The XEUS lander from Masten Space plus ULA is designed to be reusable. Depending which version actually flies it may deliver 5 tonnes or probably 25 tonnes of payload to the lunar surface.ULA actually has plans to do a Vulcan ACES XEUS lander (5m diameter tank with 60mt of possible prop). As a one way lander could land up to 60mt. As a reusable lander probably about 50mt and return to LLO empty.So as Power Point landers go this one is significant based on a great deal of hardware in existance and other parts that have been prototypes. But still it would take years to do the detail design and build of an actual lander once Vulcan ACES actually flies in the early 2020's.IMHO If the XEUS is landing people in a cabin it is unlikely to be returning to LLO empty.My reading of this situation is Masten Space will get the XL-1T to prototype the engines by flying on Earth & make money from a fleet of XL-1 cargo landers landing on the Moon. Then the Katana vertical thrusters will get a high priority. If there is a prototype ACES upper stage available Masten will test the thrusters on that alternatively they will use the Centaur upper stage.ULA may get both a Centaur XEUS kit and a larger ACES XEUS kit.
{snip}So it is possible but as in all things without funding it will not happen. The question that should be answered is how much and where funding is coming from?
Quote from: oldAtlas_Eguy on 09/15/2017 09:23 pm{snip}So it is possible but as in all things without funding it will not happen. The question that should be answered is how much and where funding is coming from?Cargo lunar landings can be sold as showing the USA is returning to greatness. Following on from the success of cubesats there are likely to be plenty of university professors and NASA scientists who will want their own lunar-cube. Expect lobbying at NASA, national and state levels.I suspect that President Trump's two terms will be over before the USA gets a man back to the Moon. However many senators will desire the glory of a manned landing by NASA astronauts and building a Moon base when they are president.
Jeff Foust @jeff_foust 2m2 minutes agoBen Bussey, NASA: hope to get RFP out for commercial lunar transportation services by end of year; payloads to follow. #leag2017
Quote Jeff Foust @jeff_foust 2m2 minutes agoBen Bussey, NASA: hope to get RFP out for commercial lunar transportation services by end of year; payloads to follow. #leag2017https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/917746693969514497
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 10/10/2017 01:43 pmQuote Jeff Foust @jeff_foust 2m2 minutes agoBen Bussey, NASA: hope to get RFP out for commercial lunar transportation services by end of year; payloads to follow. #leag2017https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/917746693969514497The question is this the corresponding RFP to the earlier RFI for small landers for scientific payloads?
Quote from: oldAtlas_Eguy on 10/10/2017 03:30 pmQuote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 10/10/2017 01:43 pmQuote Jeff Foust @jeff_foust 2m2 minutes agoBen Bussey, NASA: hope to get RFP out for commercial lunar transportation services by end of year; payloads to follow. #leag2017https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/917746693969514497The question is this the corresponding RFP to the earlier RFI for small landers for scientific payloads?You can ask Jeff Foust but I would think so. Blue Origin was trying to convince Congress that it should have a bigger COTS-like program for its Blue Moon lander proposal. I don't believe that there is currently any plans for that now (at least not under a CR).
Jeff Foust @jeff_foust 2h2 hours agoMelissa Sampson, ULA: with ACES upper stage and distributed launch, can deliver 12 metric tons to lunar surface with XEUS lander. #leag2017
It will be real nice if this is sized for all operational and remotely applicable US launchers, including Antares.
Quote Jeff Foust @jeff_foust 2h2 hours agoMelissa Sampson, ULA: with ACES upper stage and distributed launch, can deliver 12 metric tons to lunar surface with XEUS lander. #leag2017https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/918094293482524672