Jeff Bezos has begun speaking up about establishing a permanent lunar presence, but per Blue Origins' norm hasn't elaborated terribly much on the exact plans.http://spacenews.com/bezos-outlines-vision-of-blue-origins-lunar-future/I like his enthusiasm, but I want to know if he's given any details beyond New Glenn and New Armstrong being B.O.'s rockets of choice. On top of that, we need landers to boot.
Quote from: redliox on 05/29/2018 06:17 pmJeff Bezos has begun speaking up about establishing a permanent lunar presence, but per Blue Origins' norm hasn't elaborated terribly much on the exact plans.http://spacenews.com/bezos-outlines-vision-of-blue-origins-lunar-future/I like his enthusiasm, but I want to know if he's given any details beyond New Glenn and New Armstrong being B.O.'s rockets of choice. On top of that, we need landers to boot.Blue are developing a 5t cargo lander, whether that could be converted to human lander for round trip we don't know. ULA and Masten also have there Xeus lander concept based on Centuar.With crew lander you can design it today with enough fuel/DV for round trip to surface and back to Orbit. Alternatively wait a few years and see how mining of lunar water turns out. Being able to refuel on surface halves DV requirements of lander.
NB it may work out that sustaining a lunar base is unaffordable even with ISRU fuel, the only way to find this out is to give it ago.
]Blue are developing a 5t cargo lander, whether that could be converted to human lander for round trip we don't know. ULA and Masten also have there Xeus lander concept based on Centuar.
Quote from: TrevorMonty on 05/29/2018 07:02 pm]Blue are developing a 5t cargo lander, whether that could be converted to human lander for round trip we don't know. ULA and Masten also have there Xeus lander concept based on Centuar.Just Send Money TMThey won't do it on their own dime.
The Lunar CATALYST small payload landers from Astrobotic Technology, Masten Space Systems and Moon Express are being done on the companies' own dime.
Quote from: A_M_Swallow on 06/12/2018 02:06 amThe Lunar CATALYST small payload landers from Astrobotic Technology, Masten Space Systems and Moon Express are being done on the companies' own dime.Where "done" means not flying.
Quote from: QuantumG on 06/12/2018 04:05 amQuote from: A_M_Swallow on 06/12/2018 02:06 amThe Lunar CATALYST small payload landers from Astrobotic Technology, Masten Space Systems and Moon Express are being done on the companies' own dime.Where "done" means not flying.That is next year. This year they are getting the rocket engines to work.