NASA Future In-Space Operations: Supersynchronous Earth Orbits for Lunar Missions
NASA Future In-Space Operations: MOBIUS – Supersynchronous Earth Orbits for Lunar Missions
Now available is the November 16, 2016 NASA Future In-Space Operations (FISO) telecon material. The speaker was Madhu Thangavelu (USC) who presented “MOBIUS – Supersynchronous Earth Orbits for Lunar Missions.”
Note: The audio file and presentation are online and available to download.
It’s kind of sad to see the Apollo spacecraft in that picture. NASA really likes that design, but it’s not 1961 any more. And, if Apollo’s CSM engine bell was way oversized since it was designed to lift the CSM off the Moon, what’s the excuse for this one?
<sarcasm>
That’s clearly not Apollo, look at the solar panels.
</sarcasm>
The large bell is to eke out every erg of rocket energy in a vacuum. In air pressure, the pressure keeps the flame from spreading so much and so the bell is smaller. The CSM was never landed on or taken off from the Moon. And, that’s not Apollo, but the very similar modern design being built these days. Though I agree with the sentiment “it’s not 1961 any more.”
Worse yet is to see a chemical stage rather than a solar electric propulsion stage depicted.
The dreamer in me still wants to see the orbiter stage look something like the nautilus-x design…
I’m not excited about the long trip time through the radiation belts. For cargo, that’s not a problem. For people, it’s a real concern.