Northrop Grumman Has Finished A Study On A New Lunar Lander
The Northrop Grumman Corporation has recently declared about the completion of the feasibility study on a new lunar lander for the Golden Spike Company planning to send to people to the Moon within ten years at a cost of US$750 million per person. The company confirmed the viability of several concepts and layed down the ground rules for lander development based on automated operations, simplicity and low cost. The feasibility study looked at propulsion requirements for lunar orbit loitering, landing on the Moon, returning to lunar orbit and rendezvous with the mother ship while taking into account improvements in technology since Apollo. After comparing cryogenic fuels (which include liquid hydrogen) and storable fuels (which include hydrazine), it found out that cryogenics perform better, but storables provide more options and are easier to handle and store over the course of a mission and that storable propellants would reduce risks and costs. The company has also developed the âPumpkinâ ascent stage concept: it has pared down the ascent stage for the Golden Spike lander to a low-mass globe that’s just large enough for two people to squeeze into. Martin McLaughlin, Northrop Grumman’s study lead, claims that, âthis concept has significant operability advantages for surface exploration since the surface habitat can be segmented to isolate lunar dust and provides more space for living and for selecting the most valuable lunar return samples.”
Via:gizmag.com
