NASA’s plans to accelerate its plans to return humans to the moon by four years, to 2024, has not affected ESA’s plans to participate through modules for the lunar Gateway or a cargo lander called the European Large Logistics Lander planned for after that 2024 landing. “It’s just that the Americans decided to have two Americans on the surface of the moon in 2024,” he said. “That’s a national decision.”
International space agencies are pushing towards the Moon and Europe intends to play a leading role on the surface. The European Lunar Lander will be designed to allow a series of different missions with different options for its payloads being studied. ESA’s European Lander project is in an intensive study phase and will follow into a full-fledged space project, if approved.Two payload options were approved for study at Space19+: a delivery of logistics in support of human expeditions to the Moon, and a self-standing European science mission, potentially to return samples to Earth as a high-profile science mission. Missions combining one or more scientific experiments, technology demonstration, and cargo delivery could also be foreseen in the future. The versatility of the lander is therefore a strong part of the strategy.The selection for the first payload will be made at the end of the study phase in 2022 with more missions for later flight opportunities lining up.[...]European Large Logistics LanderLauncher Ariane 64Launch Site Kourou, French GuyanaMass on Earth 8500 kgMass on the Moon without cargo 1600 kgMass of delivered cargo 1500 kgSize 4.5 m in diameter, up to 6 m tallMission types Multiple and diverse: cargo, science rover, sample return stage, technology demonstration packages, in-situ resource production equipment, power generation equipment, ….
The European Large Logistics Lander - AnimationSeems to be the same type of Lander Used For Heracles
Quote from: Jakdowski on 12/02/2019 05:27 pmThe European Large Logistics Lander - AnimationSeems to be the same type of Lander Used For Heracles Is the linked video from ESA the same as the deleted YouTube video?https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2019/11/Heracles_Cargo_Moon_Landing
European Moon-Lander Project Pits Airbus Against Thales
EL3 flights are set to begin in the late 2020s, with a cadence of missions over the following decade and more.
ESA anticipates flying three to five EL3 missions over a 10 year time frame.
Wonder will some of these missions be to make fuel .If you refuel these lenders they would make fantastic lunar hoppers and the ability to land defunct satellites for recycling would be very advantageous as the lunar town grows .
Quote from: floss on 11/25/2020 12:58 pmWonder will some of these missions be to make fuel .If you refuel these lenders they would make fantastic lunar hoppers and the ability to land defunct satellites for recycling would be very advantageous as the lunar town grows .What kind of stuff are you taking? Sorry but I think you've lost your marbles. I think it's more than three orders of magnitude more likely that SpaceX Starlink will set off Kessler syndrome, than that one satellite will be serviced on or near the moon.Back to more realistic stuff. Where do we expect the EL3 will be tested?
