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| David A Hardy's painting "Eros expedition" (Picture I) |
http://kimmontaidearvioita.blogspot.com/p/the-moon-shuttle-and-space-station.html
Kimmo Huosionmaa
We are all read about plans to make the moon shuttle and that plan is very interesting. The moon shuttle would be the spacecraft, what would not land to the Earth, and the use of that spacecraft would be like, the crew and other things would transfer to the normal shuttle at the Earth orbital, and then the moon shuttle would be refueled. The shape of this shuttle would be the simple tube, what can be made by using the rocket stage of Delta or Atlas rockets. That stage would be equipped with feet, what are similar to the rockets that are made by David Hardy in the painting above the text. The name of the painting is "Eros expedition", and it portraits the fictional journey to the asteroid Eros, but the similar spaceship can operate from the Moon and travel to Asteroid belt.
An aerodynamic cone, what would protect the docking unit would be removed at the orbital. Or it can be made for turning away from the head of this spacecraft. The technology, what might be used in this enhanced lunar vehicle is basically similar, what have used in the Apollo-program. The big size allows a big cargo bay and this spacecraft would be also used as the space station for the astronauts. In distant future, this kind of spacecraft can also be equipped with ion motors and small nuclear reactor, what allows it to maneuver in large areas in the asteroid belt and investigate the asteroids. And sometimes I have imagined, that it would be equipped with the high power electric generator, what allows to produce the electromagnetic field over this spacecraft, what would protect the crew against cosmic radiation.
If we think the most conventional model of this planned spacecraft, what would use liquid hydrogen and oxygen as a fuel, we must notice that the biggest difference of this vehicle for Apollo-craft is, that it could fly between Moon and the Earth many times, and if the operator will want, this spacecraft would be land to the Earth without the parachute. The main motor would impose the thrust, that the speed of falling thru the atmosphere would be safe. And if we are honest, the similar technology can be used to send that tube-looking spacecraft to the orbital. The answer for keeping the speed low enough will be in the computerized ventilation system, what imposes the flow of oxygen and fuel all the time during the flight, that the nose of the rocket would not rise too high.
The secret of rockets is they need the mass of fuel to fly to the orbiter, but the rocket must create enough exhaust gasses, that the pressure of those gasses would be bigger than the weight of the rocket. The motor ventilation allows imposing the pushing force of the rocket, that the non-aerodynamic shape would be possible. But the aerodynamic cone can make that way, it has the hinge, what turns it away when the spacecraft is out of the atmosphere.
Picture I
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/61/49/45/614945d6efb3c534338229d76c881bf1--universe-art-alien-art.jpg
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