(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Reusable NewSpace: Surface Vehicle [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-07-01 “Roam if you want to. Roam around the world. Roam if you want to. Without wings, with(out) wheels.” – The B–52s TABLE OF CONTENTS =<<>>= SV ARCHITECTURE Mining the Moon has long been a dream of humankind. During the height of the Apollo era, many designs were brought forth that could more than get the job done. Most of the surface vehicles would house a crew (Image 1) along with excavation equipment. Astronauts would drive up to a location of interest and explore the area while strolling on the Moon. Image 1: The model of Toyota & JAXA Luna Cruiser. The more interesting designs have excavation equipment like the backhoe and the crane. The backhoe scoops up dirt, while the crane lifts payload on and off various vehicles. Some surface vehicles had a hybrid of different excavation equipment, such as a backhoe, bulldozer blade, and soil hopper on one transport. All surface vehicles would be battery–operated, and would have been recharged at a solar–powered charging station. =<<>>= SV AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT Our Surface Vehicle (SV) will be quite large because of the spaciousness of the VentureStar cargo hold. Image 2 [Larger Image] displays the relative sizes between a human and the vehicle. The center part of the vehicle will be a rechargeable battery. Below that will be the drivetrain connected to four wheels. The entire vehicle will have a mass of 10,500 kg. Image 2: A diagram of the Surface Vehicle The battery will hold a charge of 576 kW and will operate at a power consumption level of 6 kWh. This yields a duration of 96 hours or 4 days of continuous operation. The SV will begin life tucked away in the VentureStar cargo bay. The tires and receptors will be folded. Once on the lunar surface, the wheels unfold, then the receptors unfold. The receptors are unpressurized docking collars with electrical outlets to power accessories. A secondary battery can be attached to one receptor for increased performance. This battery pack will have a mass of 5,250 kg. This configuration will increase the duration to 8 days between recharges. Image 3: SV Option 2 - Crane and Battery This SV design will provide a robust platform for reuse and commonality. The total mass of this configuration is 15,750 kg. :: Several options are available with this design. These options will cause the SV to have an overall mass of 21,000 kg. Option 1 has an extra battery, also with a mass of 5,250 kg, attached for even greater performance capabilities. Three batteries means 12 days of continuous operations. Image 4: SV Option 4 - Crane and Backhoe Option 2 (Image 3) [Larger Image] makes the SV into a crane that can lift any payload on and off the Lunar Vehicle (LV). The crane will be able to lift a maximum of 10,500 kg. The crane module will have a mass of 5,250 kg with a 360–degree swivel capability. Option 3 has a backhoe module attached, which will also have a mass of 5,250 kg. The 4th and final option (Image 4) [Larger Image] will be a combination of the two excavation attachments. =<<>>= SV TRAILER Image 5: The Surface Vehicle Trailer Our Surface Vehicle (SV) will need a trailer to haul payload to specific locations on the lunar surface. The trailer is based on the SV design without a power source or a drive train. The trailer has a mass of 2,100 kg (Image 5) [Larger Image]. We will deliver the trailer to the Moon folded just like the SV. A crane will lift payload off of the Lunar Vehicle (LV) and place it on the trailer (Image 6) [Larger Image]. Once the Trailer is loaded, the SV can then move it to any location desired. =<<>>= Image 6: SV pulling a Trailer SV COMMAND AND CONTROL The Surface Vehicle (SV) cockpit will look like any other ordinary excavation equipment cockpit, except this one controls the various modules attached to the SV. The layout has one pilot, with a glass cockpit and what looks like large screen TVs in the place of windows in front and on the sides of the pilots. The crew operates the SV remotely. =<<>>= SV LIFETIME The Surface Vehicle (SV) will be operated multiple times per year. The lifetime of the vehicle is probably determined by the number of years it can withstand the constant battery recharge/discharge whilst immersed in a hot and cold vacuum environment. We estimate a loss of performance of 2% every year. This implies a 10% reduction over a 5–year period. After a sufficient amount of time, the SV will then be replaced, with the old SV deleted from the fleet. =<<>>= SV DISPOSAL Once the Surface Vehicle (SV) has reached its operational lifetime, it will need to be properly disposed of. The SV can be recharged one last time as sent out into the lunar wilderness on a one-way mission carrying the latest in scientific equipment. Otherwise, the rover will be driven into a large crater that will serve as the SV graveyard. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/7/1/2243577/-Reusable-NewSpace-Surface-Vehicle?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/