What is it about?
This paper offers one concept for a lunar architecture that takes advantage of both the SLS Program and the Commercial Crew Program to develop an affordable human spaceflight program that shifts the paradigm away from bringing everything from Earth to use of local resource utilization on the Moon for propellant production, materials manufacturing, and eventually plant growth. The architecture, once established, can perform a crew rotation with completely reusable elements.
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Why is it important?
The change of paradigm away from Earth-based resource needs and toward locally-produced resources is critically important for the long term human goal of living off-planet. The cost of bringing everything from Earth is just too expensive to be sustainable in the long term.
Perspectives
Tony Lavoie was the first NASA Lunar Architecture lead detailed to NASA HQ during the Constellation Program. That NASA-wide activity culminated in the decision at the time of choosing a lunar outpost as opposed to a series of lunar sorties as the best approach for human spaceflight beyond the ISS. Tony has also managed the Chandra X-Ray Observatory program for NASA and served as the SLS Stages Manager before retirement.
Tony Lavoie
NASA (Ret)
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: An Affordable Architecture for Establishing a Resource Processing Outpost on the Moon, September 2016, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA),
DOI: 10.2514/6.2016-5526.
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