SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

flashgordon · 2005-11-21 16:50:17

http://www.space.com/news/051121_spacedev.html

I'd like to personaly say first of all, I'm a Poway Titan graduate; i knew I should of trained hard to break the school mile record - oh well!; still, how many thirty year olds can say they can run as fast as I can now?(clue, I'm fast!) I'll be alright though i'm sure in the rest of my life even though it still seems to be on the backburner.

Anyways, the article doesn't exactly specify what their plan is, but it will be highly interesting to see the effect of this study on the current world space race(yes, It has indeed turned into a spacerace).

flashgordon · 2005-11-21 22:00:05

before anyone risks their reputations, i thought I'd go ahead and share a few thoughts that came to me while rereading it.

Seems SpaceDev has proposed generalizing the spacestation idea all the way to the lunar surface. The spacestation idea was originaly to save money by leaving heavy equipment up in orbit(today's space stations are significantly reduced to the point of being worlh less); SpaceDev is leaving spacestations at various orbital points all the way to the moon and even habitats on the moon!

flashgordon · 2005-11-21 22:01:14

combine the spacestation generalization with marsdirects living off the land, bigalows inflatables, some new rocket technologies, quantum dot solar energy and so on and so forth; i can feel it! Space colonization will come!

Rxke · 2005-11-22 03:20:54

Very first impression: That 'rocket Chair' looks *VERY* similar to Armadillo's. Heck, their very first motortest were something like this....

I know some people will get upset about this... ArmadilloAerospace even used this design for one of NASA's 'sweepstakes,' IIRC...

I hope this is not the beginning of the Big AltSpace Clash of the Little Titans :shock:

Rxke · 2005-11-22 03:25:45

Huh?

In fact, on the way to the Moon -- should a problem develop -- rocket chairs, attached to the outbound capsule -- have enough fuel to return the capsule to Earth for a direct atmospheric reentry.

Human meteoroid?

And yeah, flashgordon, those are definitely BigelowHabs in the renderings....

SpaceNut · 2005-11-22 06:33:20

I had started posting this item to the moon pork thread but with pull other references forward. My initial thought was can they actually pull this off?

While possibly Devoid of info maybe in the initial link. One needs to question the huge sum that Nasa does want for its moon mission or 2.

The SpaceDev website has just a little more.
[url=http://www.spacedev.com/newsite/templates/subpage_article.php?pid=543]SpaceDev Finds Lunar Missions Can Be Completed for Less Than $10 Billion

SpaceDev Completes Lunar Human Servicing Mission Study[/url]

The study divided the missions into segments, for example Earth launch to low Earth orbit (LEO) and to Geo Transfer Orbit (GTO), LEO and GTO to Lunar orbit, Lunar orbit to landing, takeoff to Lunar orbit, Lunar orbit to LEO, and return to Earth from LEO. The study also concluded that a combination of technology already under development or under consideration by SpaceDev and other companies could be combined to create a growing and lasting presence at the Moon again at costs significantly lower than those proposed by other organizations. In addition to existing launch vehicles, components such as the orbital version of SpaceDev’s proposed six passenger Dream Chaser™ vehicle, based on NASA’s HL-20 Personnel Launch System, and hybrid rocket motor modules can provide rapid, cost-effective building blocks to construct a variety of missions.

Even though the rocket chair lander is meant for an open style lander, if one pictures this as the descent stage of the lander. One could turn this into a landing fuel depot.

Interesting that the chair has the fuel reserver for a landing and ascent back to safe haven in the return capsule. It is not self evident from the images that it has this amount but it maybe possible on the SpaceDev site.

SpaceNut · 2005-11-22 07:23:39

Short article SpaceDev Puts Deposit Down on 2008 Falcon 1 Launch title says it all for what is contained within it.

Now this has me curious as to what SpaceDev has up there sleeves...

Rxke · 2005-11-22 07:55:16

The uber coolest thing would be a test of their boosters, for in-orbit manoeuvring etc..., but don't forget they sell cheap microsats too, so it could be they landed a good contract to put some up..

SpaceNut · 2005-11-22 08:05:07

Image sort of suggests that there is some in orbit assembly..

Dook · 2005-11-22 10:16:20

Okay, what's the point?

Why risk lives and waste billions just to live in a tiny mobile home on the moon?

SpaceNut · 2005-11-22 10:27:26

Ok so what is the point of living in a flood plain, huricane zone, tornado alley or for that fact in the freezing cold of either pole, an errid desert and perhaps even on a hot tropical island. Because it is there and you are there or you want to be there and you have made the choice to rough it out.

RobertDyck · 2005-11-22 11:42:18

From SpaceDev's web site:

SpaceDev’s proposed six passenger Dream Chaser™ vehicle, based on NASA’s HL-20 Personnel Launch System

Somebody has been reading my posts.

::Edit:: However, they picture from SpaceFlightNow appears to show a lunar launch stack with 4 TLI stages in parallel, a couple small upper stages, a cone shaped something, 4 rocket chairs, a TransHab, and their 6 person HL-20. My big question is why on Earth would you bring a lifting body all the way to the Moon and back? I'm a strong proponent for reusable equipment, and a lifting body is perfect for LEO access, but the wings and wheels and aerodynamic control surfaces are just dead weight in space. A refractory heat shield has been demonstrated on the Shuttle for return from LEO, but interplanetary trajectories are greater. I believe Lockheed Martin's lunar spaceplane used all reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) for its entire belly as well as channels for liquid nitrogen. That's absurdly complicated.

My understanding from NASA's presentation is their lunar capsule uses an ablative heatshield, then discards the heat shield to inflate an airbag for landing. They claim capsule is reusable, but obviously it will need a new ablative heatshield for each mission. Capsule, parachute, expendable ablative heatshield, airbag: good combination. I would prefer a "headlight with windshield" capsule like Apollo D2 or Soyuz rather than a cone, and I would prefer the capsule go directly from lunar surface to LEO and park in LEO. Use the HL-20 to recover crew from LEO to Earth's surface. If you use Earth orbit assembly anyway then parking the command module in LEO is a great start for the second mission. The command module would have to be able to enter Earth's atmosphere for emergency descent (it would be an escape pod), but normally would be reused. But even NASA's "Apollo on steroids" would be better than dragging a lifting body all the way to the Moon and back.

SpaceNut · 2005-11-23 07:50:14

Private Spacecraft Developer Settles on New Design

The SpaceDev company had originally looked at its dream chaser as being more alone the lines of the x34 but since that has sharp edges it would have been near the temperature limits of design so they have settled on the HL-20 Nasa design. The design from Nasa is complete as the article indicates.

Small enough to fit inside the payload bay of a NASA shuttle with folded wings, the HL-20 Personnel Launch System was slated to carry 10 astronauts (two pilots and eight passengers) or small payloads into orbit, though funding for the program dried up in 1990.

With a working design 20 million in cash resources they feel that a suborbit version could be obtain in about 2 years and for another 100 million as well as 3 years more they could be making runs to the ISS.

5 years to get to LEO and Nasa wants to take at least 7 if not more and costs billions not millions.

publiusr · 2005-11-23 15:51:10

A rocket chair? Wan Hoo all over again

The hybrid design SpaceDev is looking at:

http://spacearium.aresinstitute.org/art … 2171314797
http://www.astronautix.com/stages/amroc.htm

Dream Chaser--Orbital version...Part II:

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?id=4050
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums … 5&start=11
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums … sp?tid=855
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/05 … haser.html
http://www.spacefellowship.com/News/?p=1224

It started out like this:
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/aviationsp … drcrd.html

The big booster is based on the old AMROC Aquila (not StarBoosters Aquila SDLV HLLV) that was to launch from a converted tanker.

http://www.dogpile.com/info.dogpl/searc … /-/417/top

More data:
http://www.newscientistspace.com/articl … esign.html

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/05 … chaser.htm

http://www.spacedev.com/newsite/templat … hp?pid=542

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums … 1&posts=33

Mars_B4_Moon · 2023-05-30 03:15:48

Slow-mo from the Artemis I launch with Gustav Holst Mars, the Bringer of War, odd time and different notes but something very Darth Vader’s march about the sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl5yQ6RX_eE

NASA expects it'll spend $6 billion on a rocket that's six years behind schedule

https://www.tweaktown.com/news/91640/na … index.html

SpaceDev is based near San Diego in Poway, California. Its objective is to make routine commercial spaceflight possible and to help open space for all of humanity

In year 2012 NASA announced new agreements with the Sierra Nevada Corporation and two other companies to design and develop the next generation of U.S. human spaceflight capabilities, enabling a launch of astronauts from U.S. soil in the next five years. The DreamChaser mini Shuttle would take part in ISS resupply, a proposed version to be operated by ESA would launch on an Arianespace vehicle. In the month of November of year 2017, the Dream Chaser ETA was released from an altitude of 3,700 m and successfully landed at Edwards AFB. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/13/scie … light.html

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) selected the cargo Dream Chaser for its first space launch. This launch is intended to last for at least two weeks in freeflight to provide space access to United Nations member states that have no space programs of their own.
https://observer.com/2016/10/dream-chas … -to-space/
In 2019, the launch date for the proposed mission, expected to carry up to 35 payloads, was set for 2024.
https://www.sncorp.com/press-releases/u … ding-site/

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2023-05-30 03:21:42)

New Mars Forums

Announcement

#1 2005-11-21 16:50:17

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

#2 2005-11-21 22:00:05

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

#3 2005-11-21 22:01:14

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

#4 2005-11-22 03:20:54

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

#5 2005-11-22 03:25:45

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

#6 2005-11-22 06:33:20

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

#7 2005-11-22 07:23:39

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

#8 2005-11-22 07:55:16

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

#9 2005-11-22 08:05:07

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

#10 2005-11-22 10:16:20

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

#11 2005-11-22 10:27:26

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

#12 2005-11-22 11:42:18

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

#13 2005-11-23 07:50:14

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

#14 2005-11-23 15:51:10

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

#15 2023-05-30 03:15:48

Re: SpaceDev analyses for a 10 Billions dollar moon colonization

Board footer