Nowtime: Getting to the Moon?

[Artlav]

Let's assume that for some handwaved reason a man must be put on the Moon and returned safely back as soon as possible, starting now (or the Earth will blow up or something).

How could this be done using hardware mankind currently have or can make in a time frame of 2-3 months?

A Soyuz capsule seems a logical choice for the cruise, and there seems to be rockets strong enough to send it moon-wards, but what about near-moon maneuvering, and most importantly, the lunar lander/launcher?

Share your ideas.

 

[the.punk]

We could use the soyuz capsule for orbiting the moon. But for the lander we must build something.

 

[garyw]

Hmmm, Interesting. Shuttle is out unless you modify it for landing but then you have all that mass to send to the moon - too many issues to overcome in a short space of time.

Soyuz is much lighter so there is less mass to propel to the moon. Dock Soyuz with an EDS stage delivered via a Delta II or Delta IV and you can get into lunar orbit.

As the.punk states, landing is problem as we don't have anything that can get from lunar orbit to the surface.

Unless there is a planetary lander that can hastily be modified. I can't see us getting to the moon in anything less than a 24-36 month window due to the lander issue.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Earth will blow up.

 

[tblaxland]

Unless there is a planetary lander that can hastily be modified.

Strap a cosmonaut in an Orlan to MSL? (stripped of its science instruments of course).

EDIT: You won't get him back though

 

[Jarvitä]

Can a Soyuz capsule re-enter safely from a lunar return orbit, or be modified to do so? If that's not possible, there would probably not be a single re-entry, but rather a series of controlled aerobraking manoeuvres through the upper atmosphere until the speed is reduced enough to allow for the final entry, descent and landing.

Assuming a 1 year time-frame, perhaps the following scenario wouldn't be entirely unfeasible:

Launch vehicle: 3 seperate Proton rockets

Launch 1: Lunar lander. Sufficient Dv to land from a circular low lunar orbit to the lunar surface, and return to a low lunar orbit. Not necesarilly a lot different from the Apollo LM, or whatever can quickly be designed and tested in the time frame.

Launch 2:The ejection stage. Probably the most critical component, since it would have to be designed entirely from zero, unless there is an option to extend one of the GTO booster stages the Proton uses.

Launch 3: A Soyuz capsule with an extended service module for the TEI burn and lunar orbital manoeuvres, and a docking mechanism for the lander. No need for the orbital module.

After the three components are assembled in LEO, the mission plan could be pretty similar to Apollo, except for the fact that an off-plane intercept would be required if the components are launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome.

 

[Ark]

I agree with the Soyuz system. As for a lander...how about hastily copying an automated lunar landing probe and strapping some seats to it? No reason to design and build a whole new thing, just modify an existing landing system so a couple of EVA-ing astronauts can sit on it. It would be a hell of a ride, but it could work.

You'd probably have to aerobrake the thing to shed enough velocity to get back, that could get risky. Maybe build a simplistic upper-atmosphere shield for the front of the thing that can be installed via EVA on the way back?

 

[garyw]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking as well. sorta like Phoenix with seats and Oxygen.....

 

[Jarvitä]

Maybe build a simplistic upper-atmosphere shield for the front of the thing that can be installed via EVA on the way back?

The Soyuz capsule isn't stable in that position, and would probably spend all the reaction mass to maintain it for even a couple minutes in the upper atmosphere. I don't see any reason the heatshield could not survive a few repeated entries into the upper atmosphere at 12 km/s, however. The predicted landing zone being a few orders of magnitude larger than usual is hardly an issue with a mission this hastily put-together.

 

[the.punk]

As a lander we could us something like that.

 

[Zatnikitelman]

If the whole planet is cooperating, then the Centaur seems like a perfect candidate for the EDS. It's available, cheap, high deltav.

 

[ar81]

I know it is not related directly to space travel, but I would use VASIMR engine to push ISS to align with moon orbit. Then ISS would serve as launch platform to go to the moon. A vessel could be there, docked to ISS, waiting for the moment to go to the moon.

I think it would allow to use a reusable rocket to go to the moon and come back without the complications of Apollo design. You would refill tanks at ISS and then you are ready to go back. I think it would make things easier, similar to TTM24 addon.

Space shuttle or Buran would become a fuel tanker for ISS. Soyuz would be the CM.

 

[Liberator]

Uh, we could use the old Apollo System. With modifications though. Instead of the Saturn V we would use a modified Delta II. The Command module would be a Soyuz, while the Apollo Lander would be bigger, and we can use a modified shuttle to carry them instead.

 

[dirtyname]

Assuming this is a one-man mission, we can do it in WEEKS, not months. It's a matter of:

1) Manufacturing priority
2) Astronaut tolerance for risk

Given that the world is going to blow up, I'm guessing we'll have no trouble with getting our manufacturing priorities straight.

And I'll volunteer right now to lead the mission, no matter the risk. So here's what I propose:

Delta II's to launch the following into LEO:

1) Capsule to protect astronaut during launch/re-entry.
2) A rocket engine and fuel tanks for TLI and lunar orbit ejection
2) Life support and consumables for the moon surface mission
3) A sturdy chair welded to a rocket engine, fuel tank and RCS thrusters, as well as comm gear, radio altimeter, and some mechanism for navigating/negotiating the moon landing.

The pilot will fly the moon landing chair portion wearing his space-suit. Essentially it will be an EVA mission from the time he exits the capsule to the time he returns.

We don't need to rebuild the LEM, we need to simply build a lightweight descent/ascent vehicle that will get one man to the surface to deactivate the Death Ray pointed at Earth. Right? We just need lightweight materials for the frame, a computer to control the whole mess, perhaps some method for protecting it all from extreme temps (or not).

In fact, we could and should build a few of these things in case the first few missions fail. Easily done in less than a month.

 

[ar81]

I think it is all about money, not priorities.

 

[the.punk]

I agree that we then must concentrate on lightweight and not build an second LEM. As a lander I would use something as I posted above.
It also depends on how long the astronaut must stay.

 

[Messierhunter]

No need to build a new LEM, we still have 3 left over from Apollo, one of which was completed but meant for earth orbit unmanned testing (cancelled) and another of which was fairly near completion before it was stopped:
http://www.asme.org/Communities/History/Landmarks/Apollo_Lunar_Module_LM13_1972.cfm
With a little work I bet you could get one of them flying.

 

[Andy44]

I was thinking you could trade money for time and go heavyweight: do a direct ascent mission. Instead of designing a new lander, attach a landing and ascent stage to the Soyuz and use the capsule's controls to fly it down. The OP said "a man" so you can save weight with just one man.

Using an Apollo LM is another neat idea; but it might make launch vehicle integration tougher, and a LOR mission like Apollo is more complex than a direct ascent.

Had NASA gone with a Gemini-derived system, it could have done a direct ascent mission using a single Saturn V and landed two men on the moon.

Direct ascent with a one-man Soyuz is feasible, if you can hurry up and get a big rocket built. If a big rocket won't work, an EOR mission involving at least two launch vehicles will have to do.

 

[tblaxland]

I know it is not related directly to space travel, but I would use VASIMR engine to push ISS to align with moon orbit.

You are forgetting your fundamental astrodynamics. And your proposal was already debunked very recently here:
http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=98361#post98361