Apollo Lunar Orbit Rendezvous Architecture Decision Revisited

摘要

The 1962 Apollo architecture mode decision process was revisited with modern analysis and systems engineering tools to determine the key selection criteria and technology/operational mode design decisions that may be used for NASA's current Space Exploration program. Of the four architecture modes that were finally considered for Apollo, the present study results agreed with the 1962 selection of the Lunar Orbit Rendezvous mode based on the technology maturity and politics at that time. Using today's greater emphasis on human safety and improvements in technology and design maturity, a slight edge may be given to the direct lunar mode over lunar orbit rendezvous. Reliability and development, operations, and production costs are major drivers in today's decision process.