Project Orbiter on the Moon by 2029 ? Or sooner !

[Donamy]

Who would like to work on a project, that would see colonizing the moon by 2029 ? I don't think, in real life it would be that difficult. Other than being very expensive, I think it could be done with the rockets and modules that are already in planning and development. I think it would be alot of fun, and would get alot of interest and be very educational. Let's stop global warming, by bring back some ice from the moon. :lol:



Let's see if this project gets any interest and please give some ideas.

 

[4throck]

What input are you looking for ?
Meshes for the BFR and SLS ?

 

[Donamy]

Sort of. Ideas for what would be the best and quickest way, to set up a permanent base, for lets say 12 people and what would be needed, to build and maintain it. Would it need an orbiting station ? Where it would be set up ?

 

[PhantomCruiser]

The inflatable habs would be pretty quick. Not quite "off the shelf" but they've been in development, or at least slightly beyond powerpoint.

Location? The polar region has ice, so there lies the water, but still ntb refined (probably) so another facility for that. This could be done robotically. Robot dozers to level the regolith ahead of time too. Maybe make the habitat up along the crater rim, with ice mining down in the crater itself? Several rovers, capable of automation for transport of gear, and manual control for crew.

The crater rim could have the solar arrays, but also later install a Sterling reactor (or two) for "moar power".

I've a mesh (somewhere) I'd been working on that takes that bottom pictures inflatable and has it on a modified chassis of an Altair lander. A solar array pops up on the roof, and there's an instant lunar hab. A cargo Altair can bring a small rover and more arrays for the solar farm.


An orbiting station... :hmm: eventually. Not initially essential to the mission, but could be useful later as a fuel station for outbound flights to elsewhere.

 

[Donamy]

I was also thinking inflatables. Also, I think the only feasible launch vehicle would be, time wise, is the FH. Was also thinking about a transfer vehicle, that wouldn't actually land, but lower the cargo by sky crane, then return to orbiting station post.

 

[4throck]

You don't need a crane, the LEM also returned to orbit after leaving something on the surface.

Because of radiation habitation will be mostly underground Hobbit houses.
Any surface modules would be heavy, even more than ISS modules, because they must have shielding.

 

[Donamy]

I was thinking a crane could drop bulkier cargo.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Because of radiation habitation will be mostly underground Hobbit houses.

I was thinking the inflatables would just be the initial habitats. If the site chosen were the Philolaus Crater, we could set up just inside the crater wall and have pretty decent shielding if we were clever with our setup location.

There's a study of 3d printed habitats that get buried under the regolith after construction, but they (of course) take time to build. if needs must set up now, the inflatables are the way to go.

 

[GLS]

I don't think the Moon is that flat at that scale...

 

[PhantomCruiser]

What do you suggest?

 

[GLS]

What do you suggest?

I was just commenting on the surface model... but now that you ask, a bulldozer to level an area, and after module placement, bury them for thermal and radiation reasons, probably isn't a bad idea.

 

[gattispilot]

Well we have the altair and LER now. If we had inflatable s they could be carried on altair cargo. Of course no eva to explore

 

[Donamy]

Limited to real life launchers.

 

[Donamy]

A lunar station concept. With gravity sim and 2 lander Habs.

 

[Urwumpe]

Sure I could - except meshes, maybe some DLLs could be helpful? What would you call real-life launchers? Ariane 6 for example? Or would you include Yenesei (Can somebody confirm that Russia will increase funding for it? I did not understand all of the press conference yesterday)

 

[Donamy]

Multi-Nation for sure. But I think it would be better, if governments didn't have alot of say in it. Sort of a science, business deal.

 

[Urwumpe]

Multi-Nation for sure. But I think it would be better, if governments didn't have alot of say in it. Sort of a science, business deal.

Well, I like the "Lunar Village" idea - pretty much an open (real world) framework for building lunar bases and explore the moon. But this is still very early in its infancy.

https://moonvillageassociation.org/

Of course, as Red Moon reader, I would not want to give the Transnats too much power.... :tiphat:

Would we use reusable space tugs, when using commercial launch providers?

 

[Donamy]

Modular blow-up Habs, before regolith covering.

 

[Interceptor]

Hey Don those photos of the blow up Habs,and lunar station look familiar are they from project Jason?

 

[Donamy]

The Rover and Cart are, yes. The HAB is new.