The primary objective of this Advanced Mission Design Program is to define the general characteristics and phased evolution of a near-Earth space infrastructure. The envisioned foundation includes a permanently manned, self-sustaining base on the lunar surface, a space station at the Libration Point between earth and the moon (L1), and a transportation system that anchors these elements to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) station. The implementation of this conceptual design was carried out with the idea that the infrastructure is an important step in a larger plan to expand man's capabilities in space science and technology. Such expansion depends on low cost, reliable, and frequent access to space for those who wish to use the multiple benefits of this environment. The presence of a cislunar space infrastructure would greatly facilitate the staging of future planetary missions, as well as the full exploration of the lunar potential for science and industry. The rationale for, and a proposed detailed scenario in support of, the cislunar space infrastructure are discussed.
Development of a Cislunar Space Infrastructure
1989
59 pages
Report
No indication
English
Manned Spacecraft , Extraterrestrial Exploration , Lunar bases , Space habitats , Space stations , Space transportation system , Cost effectiveness , Economic factors , Space commercialization , Astronomy , Closed ecological systems , Geology , Mining , Remote sensing , Research and development , Space processing
The development of a cislunar space infrastructure
NTRS | 1989
|Cislunar Space Infrastructure: Lunar Technologies
NTRS | 1989
|NTRS | 1970