Nex Gen Rover and Landing Architecture

By: Nicholas Cordero

12/17/19

Context/Background

• Proposed Artemis mission to return two humans to moon by 2024 by any means necessary
• Along with the many other prerequisites needed before the 2024 mission, a Lunar Lander and Rover are essential for mission success

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Problem

• 2024 is approaching quickly, NASA has yet decide on a lunar lander and rover to be used for upcoming mission
• Proposed landers utilize reusable LOX/H2 engines which has not been proven/tested
• Limited to no time to development and test new technologies
• Proposed mission to South Pole in such a short time frame is risky and challenging

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Assumptions

Proposed Mission

• Rather than a mission to the lunar south poles, this mission will be a 7-9 day mission from Mare Tranquilitates Pit (MTP) to Apollo 11 landing site
• MTP has high potential of being a cave which can serve as a natural infrastructure for future lunar base
• Returning to Apollo 11 site as a tribute to Apollo missions and retrieving samples from site while preserving history left behind

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Traverse from MTP to Apollo 11

• Distance from MTP to Apollo 11 approx. 375km (Just 50 miles short of distance from LA to Las Vegas)
• Apollo Lunar Roving vehicle longest traverse was approximately 36 km done with simple unpressurized rover vehicle
• Covering 375km in a similar unpressurized/exposed vehicle used in Apollo missions not ideal and risky (Astronauts completely exposed and no protection other than suits)
• Very uncomfortable driving in space suit for long periods of time, therefore need a semi-long traverse pressurized vehicle along with method of transporting vehicle to lunar surface

Concept Architecture

Precursor Missions

• Given the proposed mission, there will be a total of two unmanned precursor missions followed by the final third manned mission as follows:
1. LM1 will be an unmanned evolved Apollo Lunar lander that will land autonomously near Apollo 11 site
2. LM2 will be an unmanned Lunar cargo lander carrying Rover vehicle that will land autonomously near MTP site
3. LM3 will be a manned evolved Apollo Lunar lander that will land near MTP site

LM1

2022 Landing

LM2

2023 Landing

LM3

2024 Landing

LM1 Overview

• LM1 will be an evolved variant of Apollo 11 Lunar Module, leveraging basic technologies that worked in Apollo missions
• Additional Features of LM1 as follows:
• Autonomous landing and docking capability with service module
• 10% weight savings utilizing composite materials, smaller landing pads, etc
• Increased window area for better visibility

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Apollo Lunar Lander

LM2 Overview

• LM2 will utilize proven Apollo 11 Descent engine which will be attached to Cylindrical vessel which contains Lunar Vehicle and telerobotic rover and land horizontally
• Front portion of cylindrical vessel is a hatch that will be opened with pyrotechnic device
• Ramp will be deployed from vessel allowing first telerobotic rover to descend to surface to scout area and then begin descent down MTP pits
• Lunar Vehicle will stay put in cylindrical Vessel until crew arrives in LM3

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Proposed Apollo Descent Stage Engine

Proposed Cylindrical Vessel containing Lunar Electric Rover

United Launch Alliance Lunar Lander Concept

Scout Rovers

Front Hatch of Vessel

Lunar Vehicle

• Proposed Lunar Electric Rover by NASA will be used as baseline with modifications tailored toward 2024 mission
• Modifications include:
• Utilizing six non-pivoting wheels each with electric motors
• Eliminating low TRL suit port and replace with larger airlock with suits in vehicle
• Deployable/non-deployable Solar panel attached to vehicle to charge batteries

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NASA Lunar Electric Vehicle

Lunar Rover with Deployable solar panels

Lunar Vehicle

• Assuming Lunar Electric Vehicle will have capability of 10km/h with efficient/higher power electric motors:
• Crew can cover approximately 80-90km per day (8-9 hour drive time)
• In approximately 5 days, crew will have reached Apollo 11 landing site
• Large battery carried onboard with recharging capability, allowing up to 450km traverse
• Vehicle will have ability to be teleoperated by crew upon landing
• Utilize expertise from international partners such as JAXA for vehicle development

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JAXA/Toyota Lunar Rover Concept

Schematic of �Pressurized Lunar Daylight Rover with Camera Boom

• 2 Crew with Airlock & EVA support
• 7 Earth Day Lunar Daylight Traverse
• 10-15km/hr
• 3kW continuous power from PV shade roof
• Heatpipes for active thermal control
• 20m extendable boom for hires Stablized, Extendable, Exploration and Fine Investigation “SELFIE”camera
• Manual/Telerobotic/Autonomous Command and Control
• Flexible Lander Docking Port

LM3 Overview

• LM3 will be the same as LM1 except will carry crew of two
• LM3 will still carry ascent stage in case crew needs to return back to LLO for emergency
• LM3 will have a extendable airlock docking port to attach onto Lunar Vehicle allowing crew to easily transport over to vehicle
• The vehicle will be teleoperated by crew upon landing so that vehicle will reverse back and attach to airlock on LM3

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ISS Airlock

Airport Boarding Bridge

Merits and Limitations

• Merits:
• Concepts all utilize some form of existing technology that have either been space flight proven and/or prototyped
• First time exploring lunar pit to determine suitability for future lunar base infrastructure
• Lunar Electric Vehicle first pressurized vehicle that would be simplified for a daylight mission, and will lay the foundation down for future missions to the polar regions of the moon
• Telerobots assist crew for scouting area before doing any risky EVA
• Precursor missions reduce mission failure
• Limitations:
• Size and mass of Lunar Electric Rover limited by launch vehicle capability

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Future Studies

• Determine lunar rover vehicle size and mass limitations based on existing launch vehicles that will be ready to launch by 2023
• Determine how large of battery or how many batteries will be needed for 450km traverse

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References/Backup

• https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/solar-system/pluto-lander-concept-unveiled-global-aerospace-corporation/
• https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Deployable-Extravehiclar-Activity-Platform-(DEVAP)-Howe-Merbitz/8f4e0d5327515ad466efd1022b86bb29dc632851/figure/3
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2019/08/31/nasa-considers-robotic-lunar-pit-mission-moons-subsurface-key-to-exploration/#24c99f642174
• https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/road-trip-moon-180952925/
• https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo_lrv.html
• https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/alsjcoords.html
• https://nasa.asu.edu/view_bio/Victor%20Hernandez/2014-2015?destination=view_bio%2FVictor+Hernandez%2F2014-2015
• https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/tools/lunardistancecalc/index.shtml
• https://www.ulalaunch.com/docs/default-source/exploration/dual-thrust-axis-lander-(dtal)-2009.pdf
• https://www.simplerockets.com/c/39MSWx/RSS-Xeus-Lander-MMSEV-SMK
• https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-models/space/spaceship/lunar-vehicle

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Distance from MTP to Apollo 11

https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/tools/lunardistancecalc/index.shtml

Distance from Apollo 17 to MTP

https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/tools/lunardistancecalc/index.shtml