A
Since the Moon is tidally locked to the Earth, a Lunar Elevator would actually be feasible.
I envision the Lunar Elevator being less expensive versions of a Bigelow Han that are stacked on top of each other starting on the Moon.
The first section would be connected to a base unit that would eventually provide air stored in tanks and electricity via solar power.
A crane would be needed to boost each new section up to the docking ring of the previous section where it would be inflated after connection.
Better yet, instead of a crane, the modules would for the space side of the elevator, all 250 miles worth, would be assembled but not inflated in space.
A lander attached to the Elevator via bungi like sets of cabling, would then descend to the Lunar surface. The bungi tethers would need to be at least 275 miles each for tolerance issues related to the lander descending to the surface.
Once on the surface, the lander would reel in the cables that would then slowly pull the elevator to the lunar surface. Once attached to the base, the process of inflating each module would begin.
The Elevator would be connected to a Bigelow orbital station that is equipped with thrusters to help correct altitude adjustments when need be and keep the Moons gravity from pulling the Elevator to the surface of the Moon.
Although a very costly project, the Bigelow Lunar Elevator would more than pay for itself at being able to transfer cargo and humans to and from the Moon without wasting money on fuel.
I thought about the Lunar Elevator a little more and the idea would work. the drawbacks however would be the cost of increased maintenance and upkeep due to small tears from small meteorites and having to replace damage sections.
The best option for lunar colonization would involve a Bigelow Orbital facility that a Lunar Lander that could descend from and ascend to from the Moon to without leaving behind the descent stage, which I'm certain Musk or Bezos could figure out.
A fuel storage tank, basically the Service Module from Apollo stripped of everything except for fuel containers, remote navigation systems and the fuel tanks own rocket engines.
In the image below we have three sections of the Apollo 11 mission. The Lunar Lander Section, Service Module Section and Command Module Section.
Now, the thrust to weight ratio to get all three sections to Lunar orbit has already been calculated and proven to be possible. What would change is the interior configuration of all three sections. Instead of housing systems for human survival, the lander and other systems, those systems that were not crucial to get the three sections to Lunar orbit would be removed and replaced by fuel, basically a smaller version of the External Fuel Tank used with the Space Shuttle.
The Fuel Tank would be remotely docked with the Bigelow Station where the Fuel Tank would provide fuel for numerous missions to and from the Moons surface as well as refueling manned craft that would allow more cargo to be carried to the Bigelow Station without having to add extra modules for return trip fuel. Two Fuel Tanks would be docked with the Lunar Orbital Station that could provide up to two to three years worth of fuel. The delivery vehicle would be re-useable and once it had sent the Fuel Tank on its way to the Moon, would return to the Earth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_(spacecraft)#/media/File:Apollo_Spacecraft_diagram.jpg
Actually, the above concept would work.
If we take all three Apollo - 11 sections from above and make them into one unit, add the landing struts, rocket motors along with the guidance and control systems from the Falcon 9 rocket and then place it on top of a Falcon X Super Heavy, the Trailblazer Fuel Container and Transfer System would work for a Lunar Landing.
https://spaceflight101.com/spacex-launch-vehicle-concepts-designs/
Having a fuel and transfer vehicle on the Lunar surface would have the advantage of building larger Lunar landing craft that didn't require additional fuel for the return ascent that also could be left on the Moon and used several times.
Think of the Eagle Lunar Lander that is able to descend to surface of the Moon, drop cargo off, fuel up via astronauts using the Trailblazer, and then return to the Mothership. Once docked with the Mothership, crew and cargo from the surface can be transferred to the Mother and vice versus.
Even if the Mothership is a Dragon X Module, the Lunar Lander could still dock with. But instead of simply letting the Lunar Lander drift off into space, the Lunar Lander 'could be returned to the the surface of the Moon via control from the Mothership or NASA using the Mothership as control platform.
Getting a fuel ship to the surface of the Moon will reduce a lot of waste and open up a lot of new ground.
Since the Moon is tidally locked to the Earth, a Lunar Elevator would actually be feasible.
I envision the Lunar Elevator being less expensive versions of a Bigelow Han that are stacked on top of each other starting on the Moon.
The first section would be connected to a base unit that would eventually provide air stored in tanks and electricity via solar power.
A crane would be needed to boost each new section up to the docking ring of the previous section where it would be inflated after connection.
Better yet, instead of a crane, the modules would for the space side of the elevator, all 250 miles worth, would be assembled but not inflated in space.
A lander attached to the Elevator via bungi like sets of cabling, would then descend to the Lunar surface. The bungi tethers would need to be at least 275 miles each for tolerance issues related to the lander descending to the surface.
Once on the surface, the lander would reel in the cables that would then slowly pull the elevator to the lunar surface. Once attached to the base, the process of inflating each module would begin.
The Elevator would be connected to a Bigelow orbital station that is equipped with thrusters to help correct altitude adjustments when need be and keep the Moons gravity from pulling the Elevator to the surface of the Moon.
Although a very costly project, the Bigelow Lunar Elevator would more than pay for itself at being able to transfer cargo and humans to and from the Moon without wasting money on fuel.
I thought about the Lunar Elevator a little more and the idea would work. the drawbacks however would be the cost of increased maintenance and upkeep due to small tears from small meteorites and having to replace damage sections.
The best option for lunar colonization would involve a Bigelow Orbital facility that a Lunar Lander that could descend from and ascend to from the Moon to without leaving behind the descent stage, which I'm certain Musk or Bezos could figure out.
A fuel storage tank, basically the Service Module from Apollo stripped of everything except for fuel containers, remote navigation systems and the fuel tanks own rocket engines.
In the image below we have three sections of the Apollo 11 mission. The Lunar Lander Section, Service Module Section and Command Module Section.
Now, the thrust to weight ratio to get all three sections to Lunar orbit has already been calculated and proven to be possible. What would change is the interior configuration of all three sections. Instead of housing systems for human survival, the lander and other systems, those systems that were not crucial to get the three sections to Lunar orbit would be removed and replaced by fuel, basically a smaller version of the External Fuel Tank used with the Space Shuttle.
The Fuel Tank would be remotely docked with the Bigelow Station where the Fuel Tank would provide fuel for numerous missions to and from the Moons surface as well as refueling manned craft that would allow more cargo to be carried to the Bigelow Station without having to add extra modules for return trip fuel. Two Fuel Tanks would be docked with the Lunar Orbital Station that could provide up to two to three years worth of fuel. The delivery vehicle would be re-useable and once it had sent the Fuel Tank on its way to the Moon, would return to the Earth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_(spacecraft)#/media/File:Apollo_Spacecraft_diagram.jpg
Actually, the above concept would work.
If we take all three Apollo - 11 sections from above and make them into one unit, add the landing struts, rocket motors along with the guidance and control systems from the Falcon 9 rocket and then place it on top of a Falcon X Super Heavy, the Trailblazer Fuel Container and Transfer System would work for a Lunar Landing.
https://spaceflight101.com/spacex-launch-vehicle-concepts-designs/
Having a fuel and transfer vehicle on the Lunar surface would have the advantage of building larger Lunar landing craft that didn't require additional fuel for the return ascent that also could be left on the Moon and used several times.
Think of the Eagle Lunar Lander that is able to descend to surface of the Moon, drop cargo off, fuel up via astronauts using the Trailblazer, and then return to the Mothership. Once docked with the Mothership, crew and cargo from the surface can be transferred to the Mother and vice versus.
Even if the Mothership is a Dragon X Module, the Lunar Lander could still dock with. But instead of simply letting the Lunar Lander drift off into space, the Lunar Lander 'could be returned to the the surface of the Moon via control from the Mothership or NASA using the Mothership as control platform.
Getting a fuel ship to the surface of the Moon will reduce a lot of waste and open up a lot of new ground.
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