The Logistics Development of a cis-Lunar Transfer Vehicle

Findings from NASA’s October 9 th 2009 LCROSS (Lunar CRater Observation & Sensing Satellite) mission have ascertained a high likelihood of significant quantities of frozen water at the permanently shadowed polar regions of the Moon. This critical development would thus have much strategic value by enabling a sustainable human presence on the Moon. Also, a significant water volume presents an in-situ ability to produce hydrogen/oxygen rocket propellants; this then represents a great potential for further space exploration in that an efficient production of lunar-based propellants would supplant a much more costly terrestrial-based supply. The building of an infrastructure becomes necessary to achieve this technology. Robotic approaches are conceivable and so are one-way trips of supplies. However, at some point in this development, manned expeditions with longer duration stays on the lunar surface become the natural progression of exploration and colonization. In order to support the logistics of this endeavor, a continuous regimen of human travel between the Earth and the Moon would be necessary. In this manner, life-support supplies, construction materials with tools and equipment, and replacement crews would make lunar habitability feasible. A cis-Lunar Transfer Vehicle between Low-Earth Orbit and Low-Lunar Orbit then becomes a useful means for enhancing this progression. This paper examines the concept of a practical means of building and supporting a cis-Lunar Transfer Vehicle such that it can be repeatedly used for transport missions to and from Low-Earth Orbit and Low-Lunar Orbit. The discussion will then examine these questions: - Why should this type of program proceed in the first place? How did the LCROSS mission determine the likelihood of large quantities of water? Where is this water located and how could it be approached? What would be a conceivable operating methodology for a cis-Lunar Transfer Vehicle? - Are there examples of earlier spacecraft systems or analogs that could be launched into Low-Earth Orbit and adapted for this use? How can a cis-Lunar Transfer Vehicle be sufficiently robust to withstand the loading of Trans-Lunar Injection, Lunar Orbit Capture, and then Trans-Earth Injection? Can an aero-braking maneuver be employed during Trans-Earth Injection? If so, how might a heat-shield be engineered for this purpose? - How can the cis-Lunar Transfer Vehicle be logistically supported for repeated transport missions? What types of preventive and corrective maintenance might be expected on this vehicle? How could the crew train for such a mission and what would be the nature of their duties? Are there some lessons that could be learned from earlier long-duration space missions and, for that matter, from the experience of sea-going voyages? Learning on the Moon provides an essential means of furthering human-kind’s space-faring technology. Whereas the six Apollo landings left a legacy of important technological accomplishment, these fledgling approaches were just the beginning in the anthropomorphic dealing with this lunar environment. Therefore, for a more-sustainable stance of getting personnel, supplies, and materiel to the lunar surface, the logistics for the development & out-fitting of a cis-Lunar Transfer Vehicle would serve very well to mature this capability.