How To Build a Lunar Base, Part Ⅰ: The Launch Issue

摘要

President Bush has called on NASA to implement a human lunar exploration program with the objective of both supporting operations on the Moon and developing the technologies to enable piloted Mars missions. The question is: how should this be done? Three central issues that need to be addressed are launch strategy, lunar mission mode and method of evolution from Moon to Mars exploration capabilities. With respect to the launch issue, the key question is whether or not we need a heavy-lift launch vehicle.