Human Landing System – Studies, Risk Reduction, Development and Demonstration

Solicitation Number: NNH19ZCQ001K_APP-E

We have proposed a hybrid Chemical/SEP  Lunar Gateway propulsion stage(PPE). We replace the high-pressure Xenon tanks with a traditional propellant tank with cryogenic Xenon and cooling the Xenon with Cryogenic Oxygen. So, in essence, we propose a solar array powered ACES upper stage with a SEP engine as the Gateway PPE. We think to replace many smaller high-pressure Xenon tanks save weight. Would need to do trades on this. The stage we propose would have a third Xenon propellant tank at the standard 41 PSI found in standard chemical tanks

This vehicle is a fuel depot

We have proposed that the ACES/SEP hybrid makes for many interesting trades for outer planet missions, You expend most of the Xenon in-route to an Ice Giant and with the ACES with most of its 60 Mt of LH2 LO2 still onboard you do that orbit insertion burn. The ACES/SEP stage does MECO on the way out of LEO so it is paid for by the launch services contract and does not come under AO under mission caps. We also propose robust avionics and comnav system designed for decades in deepspace be shared between the science and upper stage and this also come under the launch services contract. The Chemical burns to place the spacecraft outside the Van Allen belts SEP to HEO and Lunar swingby to Heliocentric orbit. We propose the ACES/SEP hybrid stage to have commonality with the Gateway PPE stage. Outer planet science instruments are attached to the ACES/SEP stage with a large ESPA ring

https://yellowdragonblog.com/2018/03/08/minimalist-upper-stage-as-science-probe-missions-serially-produced/

Human landing system

The ULA folks have with partners have proposed an upper stage lunar lander concept called “ZEUS” We propose the ACES/SEP stage as the latest variant.SEP to ferry a fully fueled lander

This lander would have the same con-ops as the missions described above IE it performs MECO and a chemical Burn to above the Van Allen belts and a SEP burn to lunar orbit without a crew aboard.

This architecture works with;

Falcon Heavy with a Methane Raptor upper stage

New Glen upper stage

The human lunar lander private-public partnership AO is out today

Human Landing system

Please see the guiding principles below

NextSTEP-2_Omnibus_BAA_Amendment_8_2019-02-06

From Page 6  explains why a common upper stage science probe that shares substantial commonality with a cislunar economy Tug makes the most sense.

NASA’s activities in enabling the pioneering of space are being driven by a set of guiding principles:

• FISCAL REALISM: Implementable in the near-term with the buying power of current budgets and in the longer term with budgets commensurate with economic growth;

• SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION: Exploration enables science and science enables exploration; leveraging scientific expertise for human exploration of the solar system. A duel use human/cargo hybrid cryogenic/SEP space tug can also be used for interplanetary probes.

• TECHNOLOGY PULL AND PUSH: Application of high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) technologies for near term missions, while focusing sustained investments on technologies and capabilities to address the challenges of future missions; If the Hybrid Cryogenic/SEP hybrid was the Gateway PPE stage then the stage could be manufactured for many other uses including for the SMD.

• GRADUAL BUILD UP OF CAPABILITY: Near-term mission opportunities with a defined cadence of compelling and integrated human and robotic missions, providing for an incremental buildup of capabilities for more complex missions over time; For the purpose of the human lander our proposal is both the lander and the transfer stage IE ACES/SEP ZEUS.in this scenario you have expended or transferred the Xenon to the gateway Fuel depot and land with just the cryogenic propellant 

• ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY: Opportunities for U.S. commercial business to further enhance their experience and business base; Deep space planetary science providers along with NASA centers and JPL would be a commercial government partnership effort.

ARCHITECTURE OPENNESS AND RESILENCE: Resilient architecture featuring multi-use, evolvable space infrastructure, minimizing unique developments, with each mission leaving something behind to support subsequent missions;

• GLOBAL COLLABORATION AND LEADERSHIP: Substantial new international and commercial partnerships, leveraging current International Space Station partnerships and building new cooperative ventures for exploration; and

• CONTINUITY OF HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT: Uninterrupted expansion of human presence into the solar system by establishing a regular cadence of crewed missions to cislunar space during ISS lifetime.