CHAPTER 4 THE EQUIPMENT (C) LUNAR LANDERS

C) LUNAR LANDERS

The basic design is already done for the small two to four manned “Lunar Lander”, the original LEM can be upgraded for the new “Lunar Lander”. The new “Lunar Lander” will require a capability of landing a large mass on the Lunar surface. The mass landed by this Lander will consist of the materials for the “Construction Shack”, “Construction Equipment”, Supplies, Extra Fuel for the initial Lunar side “Fuel Depot” and the construction Personnel.

This Lander may be assembled in Earth Orbit and then “flown” to Lunar Orbit where the final preparations can be made at the Lunar Orbital Station. Preparation could include removal of empty fuel and Oxidizer tanks for use by the Lunar Orbital Station and final check prior to the landing sequence. This vehicle may be manned or remote controlled, but will land at a spot on Lunar surface already selected for its suitability. The site will have a Radar reflector to ensure that the Lander can lock onto it and descend to that target spot. For further landings this landing spot will be the “Space Port” for manned landings and takeoffs.

The initial landing may require two or more Landers to ferry down the equipment. The Landers will become part of the initial settlement structure except for Landers that are designed to be ferries between the Settlement and Lunar Orbit.

The Cargo Lander may be build by bringing together five or more Titan V type Lift vehicles. The Vehicles should be built into one large vehicle for transferring their cargo to the Lunar Surface. As a single vehicle it can land as a single unit and then use its size to aid in lowering the different individual vehicles to a horizontal position after their Tanks have been emptied and the fuel and Oxidizer has been stored in the “Fuel Depot”.
As each vehicle is lowered to a horizontal position a carrier can be placed under it to transport it to its assigned position in the “Lunar Surface Station”. After all the separate Vehicles have been lowered to the surface and positioned the frame of the Landing Vehicle can be disassembled and then reassembled as a “small Initial Mass Driver”. Part of the equipment to build the “Lunar Surface Station” will be the shell of the “Cargo Landers” and other parts can be “Inflatable Tunnels, personnel Quarters or larger work areas. The maximum economically feasible use should be the target of planning for this construction.