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General Discussion => Historical Spaceflight => Topic started by: Hoonte on 12/16/2015 10:20 am

Title: Identification of very early (possible) USAF moon lander concept needed
Post by: Hoonte on 12/16/2015 10:20 am
Taken from this 50's DOD video at 23:55
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5J-FKmc9sc

Anyone knows what this concept lander is?

Title: Re: Identification of very early (possible) USAF moon lander concept needed
Post by: Proponent on 12/16/2015 11:13 am
Given that it looks like a lander and appears in a USAF film, I wonder whether it might be related to the Air Force's Project Lunex.  The 79th page of the attached PDF shows an image of Lunex's proposed lunar-landing stage.  It does not match what's shown in the film, though.  Maybe it's a robotic precursor for Lunex?
Title: Re: Identification of very early (possible) USAF moon lander concept needed
Post by: Vahe231991 on 07/27/2022 09:31 pm
Quote from: Proponent on 12/16/2015 11:13 am
Given that it looks like a lander and appears in a USAF film, I wonder whether it might be related to the Air Force's Project Lunex.  The 79th page of the attached PDF shows an image of Lunex's proposed lunar-landing stage.  It does not match what's shown in the film, though.  Maybe it's a robotic precursor for Lunex?
The model in this clip can't be a lunar lander because the video in which the clip is included discusses USAF early warning and reconnaissance systems but nothing about the Lunex project, so the model could have something to do with an early warning satellite.
Title: Re: Identification of very early (possible) USAF moon lander concept needed
Post by: whitelancer64 on 07/27/2022 09:59 pm
The film "Aerospace Communications: The Reins of Command" is from 1961. Produced by the US Air Force.

It's a very simple model, low fidelity, clearly just a concept. The model may even have been made just to demonstrate the action of the legs on it, since that's the only part with significant detail / moving parts. I doubt it would be possible to find out much more about it. My guess would be it could be a precursor / test lander for Lunex Project.
Title: Re: Identification of very early (possible) USAF moon lander concept needed
Post by: whitelancer64 on 07/27/2022 10:01 pm
Quote from: Vahe231991 on 07/27/2022 09:31 pm
Quote from: Proponent on 12/16/2015 11:13 am
Given that it looks like a lander and appears in a USAF film, I wonder whether it might be related to the Air Force's Project Lunex.  The 79th page of the attached PDF shows an image of Lunex's proposed lunar-landing stage.  It does not match what's shown in the film, though.  Maybe it's a robotic precursor for Lunex?
The model in this clip can't be a lunar lander because the video in which the clip is included discusses USAF early warning and reconnaissance systems but nothing about the Lunex project, so the model could have something to do with an early warning satellite.

It's clearly a lander. I suspect it might have been cut into the video by mistake, since it makes no sense in the context of the video.
Title: Re: Identification of very early (possible) USAF moon lander concept needed
Post by: Michel Van on 08/18/2022 06:53 pm
it look like Solid rocket motor with instrument ring and landing gear
looks like  early Surveyor concept, the program started in 1961.