A Crewed Lunar Lander Concept Utilizing the Cislunar Gateway

摘要

As space exploration architectures evolve toward robotic and crewed lunar landers, Boeing is developing design concepts that leverage the cislunar Gateway and Space Launch System (SLS) transportation. There are both Mars exploration and lunar exploration motives for the development of lunar surface capabilities. A lunar lander can be used as a Mars lander technology demonstrator, including demonstrating technologies used in the final phase of Mars descent/landing, as well as technologies/techniques for habitation and ascent to orbit. The addition of a lander to the Gateway would enable international and scientific communities to explore the lunar surface. The Boeing lunar lander concept supports a crew of four on a two week (one lunar day) surface sortie. The lander is optimized to take advantage of the cislunar Gateway architecture; the lander elements are delivered using the SLS Block 2 cargo launch capability and the SLS Orion/cargo co-manifest capability. Overall mass of the ascent module was minimized by allocating habitation and crew surface access functions to the descent module. Recurring costs were reduced by designing a reusable ascent module. The concept is extensible to longer duration missions with the addition of separately delivered surface assets such as a mobile habitat and the use of the Deep Space Transport to enable more global access. This paper will describe the lander design and operation concept, key trade studies and rationale for the selected options. Trade studies were conducted in areas such as spacecraft elements, engines, mission design, propellant, airlock, and reuse of Gateway systems. Analysis of the favorable lunar orbits is discussed with respect: a) surface landing operations, b) earth-to-orbit element/cargo delivery operations, and c) access to various lunar surface regions. The design evolution from small to medium landers is shown as technology proving grounds leading to successful larger crew landers. The paper will show that use of the SLS, Orion, Gateway, and Deep Space Transport in support of a human lunar lander exploration architecture is feasible and practical and will explain how the design described can be extensible to future Mars lander designs.