Fri, Jul 14, 2017
Developing A New Family Of Spacecraft For Low-Cost Space Exploration
Moon Express, one of the competitors in the Google Lunar X Prize program, has unveiled plans to build a new family of spacecraft that it says will reach from the Moon to Mars and beyond.
Space.com reports that the company's agreement with Rocket Labs, which is developing the Electron booster that will propel the Moon Express lander to the Moon in hopes of claiming the $20 million GLXP award, covers up to five launches. Following the initial mission, Moon Express has scheduled a launch in 2019 that would establish a robotic research base near the lunar south pole. In 2020, Moon Express hopes to mount the first commercial mission to return a lunar sample to Earth.
The central piece of hardware is a single engine lander dubbed MX-1, which will be flown on the GLXP mission. Moon express says it plans to mass-produce the lander and sell it as a lunar explorer, but also serve as the basis for larger and more capable spacecraft, which 1t calls the MX-2, MX-5 and MX-9. They will combine multiple MX-1 units into a single package of two, five and nine spacecraft to boost capacity. The MX-5 and MX-9 will be configured to return samples to Earth.
In a news conference Wednesday, Moon Express CEO and co-founder Bob Richards said these larger spacecraft could be capable of reaching Venus or Mars, or perhaps further into the solar system.
Richards said that the system has the potential to cut the cost of space exploration significantly. The company has estimated that the MX-1 and Electron booster could put the cost of a Moon mission at less than $10 million.
(Images courtesy of Moon Express Facebook page. Top: MX-1. Bottom: MX-9)
More News
Aero Linx: Model Aeronautical Association of Australia MAAA clubs are about fun flying, camaraderie and community. For over 75 years, the MAAA has been Australia’s largest fl>[...]
Touchdown Zone Lighting Two rows of transverse light bars located symmetrically about the runway centerline normally at 100 foot intervals. The basic system extends 3,000 feet alon>[...]
“Discovery and innovation are central to our mission at Virgin Galactic. We’re excited to build on our successful record of facilitating scientific experiments in subor>[...]
How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]
Student Pilot Reported That During Rotation, “All Of A Sudden The Back Of The Plane Kicked To The Right..." Analysis: The student pilot reported that during rotation, “>[...]