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A Base on the Moon

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A Base on the Moon . r•l...... ............ • - ' • • .. .. ... -.. -. ~*-- p . .. ~ ··--· - - · ... • •. " .,. 0' I .... -~ MILITARY LUNAR BASE PROGRAM (c) -. or ~ I .. S.R. 183 LUNAR OBS~RVATORY STUIOY .(u) l... ' •• STUDY SUMMARY -l and ••I PROGRAM PLAN - ...• ARDC PROJECT NO. 7987 TASK NO. 19769 .I •I APRIL 1960 I I -· . ' ..f DJRt:CTORATE OF SPACE PLANNING AND ANAL YSJS . •I .. Air Force Ballistic Missile Division Air Force Unit Post Office .. Los Angales 45, California ~ An'.h-; A,c7 /1_/2-S_ J..fl_ ' ~- , r . AfBMD TR 60·•1·1 _,v .l)~ . • - ""' ;· ;-•~.· L ,..., •. ------.. .r.-_..,0__ _{_l_L!__ I •• .,., ;:. "··· . --· 7\~ I -~ r v'Ar -LJ!Yn . .. ~ .. • • ...:::! . .. ··--- --··--·- ·· ... _ '. ~ - ---- . - I f I ) 0 - !! . - ~ . I- I I 11 Irl ~ [ ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .:1 . - The information presented in this document is based on reports provided 't I by the following voluntary and funded contractors who participated in the r L !! ARDC Lunar Observatory Study Program (Study Requirement No. 183). 'I I i VOLUNTARY CONTRACTORS i ii Douglas Aircraft Company, Santa l\Ionica, California Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company, Minneapolis, Minn. Republic Aviation Corporation, Farmingdale, L. I., New York I l. .. FUNDED CONTRACTORS .LI I Boeing Airplane Company, Seattle, 'Vashington .0 •• North American Aviation, Inc., Downey, Califot·nia United Aircraft Corporation, East Hartford, Conn. r I- ' .. The contractor's reports were e\·aluated by personnel from various L ARDC Organizations, Air Force Agencies and the Rand Corporation. A list of the personnel on the technical Evaluation Panels is provided as . ,. Attachment 5 of this volume. The infot·mation provided by the Evaluation L Panels was used by the AFBi\ID Project Office personnel to prepare this final report and without their assistance this final report would not have been possible. GEORGE W. S. JOHNSON ,. Maior USAF L Proiect OHicer- SR-183 ; · ROBERT W . PIPHER Captain USAF Asst. Project Offlcer-SR 183 ., I I_ ·~ L. oP TR 60-44 i Thit Jcnv1n~nt cotdain1 inlorn'llatian afl~t( t i n•J tit• notionar d•hnte af th• U"it.d State\ wethtn ehe n••oninu ol th• flp;onao• lawt, T i t~• II, U S C. Sec1ian 7?1 a nd 79~. th• ttanlmit,ion of whfch in o"y manne-r ,., on unuuthothed a>erson it pfohtb•t•d by law~ . -·· .... ) J ] ] J "•l. ] This page intentionally left blank J J J J J J J rR 60-14 •• ,.,,, conJoint infotmotfan oHectini'J '"'• na ticu•o f dof~rn1e of the 3ntt~td Stott'\ wrtl'tin th• me-oniiUJ of th e [,p,'onao• Lo w\. •t •, r . Sedion 793 un d 79.&, tha I' Cm•m;u,;~,. • uf """"i' h in any mann•' to an Uf'loulhori.a ed penon ;, ptohiblteod bt low • - - · . •• .. :··· ·..- -·:· - ·· - ·· · .. .... .._..., •• :-"'!" 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TABLE Or CONTENTS ] Page ACKNO\VLEDGEI\'IENT ................................................ .................................. i BACKGROUND ................................................................................................ iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ............................................................................ v STUDY SUl\ti~IARY ............................................ : ........................................... J-1 CONCLUSIONS .............................................................................................. I-7 RECO!\Il\iENDATIONS ............... ................................................................. I-9 INTRODUCTION-VOLUME I ..................................................................I-11 TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS .................................. - ........................ .I-13 Measures of Effectiveness ................................: ............. ..........................1-13 ] System Synthesis ........................................................................................ I-1 4 Typical Systems .......................................................................................... I-16 Systems Evaluation ................................................... - .. ·-·---------------------.l-17 Transportation Analysis Summarr ...................................- ................... I-19 • .i LUNAR BASE PROGRAM PLAN' ........................................................... .I-21 Lunar Base Philosophy ........................................................................... .I-21 l\1ilestones ..........................~ ...................................... ___ ............................ I-21 ] Program Phases ........................................................ __. ........................... I-22 Master Program Schedule ........................................................................ 1-23 -, ENVIRONI\'IENT ......................................................................................... .I-25 ! .. J RELIABILITY AND SAFETY .................................................................. I-27 PHASE I-LUNAR PROBES ................................................._ .................... I-31 ~. PHASE II-LUNAR ORBITS .................... ~ .............................................. I-33 . PHASE III-SOFT LUNAR LANDIXG .................................................. 1-37 .... PHASE IV-LUNAR LANDING & RETVRX ........................................ I-41 .., PHASE V-1\fANNED VEHICLE DEVELOP:\IENT ..............: ............ .1-45 j PHASE VI-LUNAR BASE DEVELOP)IE~T .............. .. _..... .............. .1-49 ..• COST ANALYSIS ............................................... - ............ .. ..................... .1 ~53 SPACE MISSION ANALYSIS .......... ,. ...................................................... I-59 . ATTACHl\fENTS ... - .. ........................ ........................................................... I-69 ...! 1. Study Program Schedule ........ .... ...... ............................... ................... 1-69 2. Study Requirement and Amendment .:# -! .......................................... I~71 'l 3. \York Statement and Amendment =1 ................................................ I-77 •• J 4. Attendance Roster-Contt·actor Presentations ................................. .1~85 5. Evaluation Panels .................................................................................. I-87 6. Contractors Reports .............................................................................. I-89 'l I LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Chart. Number Title Page l\·IASTER PROGRAi\I SCHEDCLE ............................................ I-23 ...... ANNUAL LUNAR DASE PROGRA::.\f COSTS ..... ................. .1-57 I ANNUAL 1\IANPOWER REQUIREJ)IENTS ......................... .1-58 .... TR 60-44 v This doc:vrnenf tanraina i, (o,motfon a lfecting th• national delente of rh• Un •f•d Stute t w ithin lhe meonina of th1 Etpio naoe Lgw1 , Jithr 18, U.S.C .• Scoction 7 913 a nd 79"'~ th• tta, tmiu ion of w hich j, a nt mo"r'f• r to an u"outho ri u d ptno" h prvhib hed br low~ - . -·. ·--·---...~,-· ·· ·-·-- ' !]jr ,_ I i : ..... r Lf [] [ . [ r,J r,J This page intentionally left blank r,J r, J r, ,J [] ·r J ~ ·: [rj [~ J rR 60-44 ti [~ J I>1 , '""' -··• «''" ., ,.•. ,,..., • : ~ o"•<t;•'ll tloo not; "~ol rf•l• ~• • of '"• J,.;, •.s Sto•., - ,,.;, tko moo.,:"'l ol tho fapiunoue lawt, r. •, 1.; '-' ; 0: ~· · · ~- :~1 .:- •41 : ;4, ·~• ,,.,,.,..,,.,;,.,of "'h ie ~ in ""~ "''"""•• I> a" ,,..,, ,;.,.,,,.d r:•••on it P'ohibiled by law, [,J pg;:e;·. STUDY SUMMARY J The purpose of this study was to "determine an economical and sound app1·oach for cstnblishing a manned intelligence observatory on the moon." Normally the end product of this type of study is an E\·aluation Report. However, du~ to the importance of the study conclusions and the significance l of time, it was deddcd to prepare a prelim~nary Program Pl:ln, as part of the final Report. The final report has been prcparecl in two \"Oiumcs. Volume I includes this Study Summary and the Program Plan. Volume II consists of the Technical Rcquil·cments to support the Program Plan. l The Technical Requirements are prese:nted in "technical packages" that cover each of the major technical areas. Each package includes the cha1·acteristics and required dc\·elopment schedules for all known items within the specific technical area, as well as the development philosophy to be J follo"·ed. The "technical packages" ha\·c been prepared to assist the nppropt"iate development agencies to initiate the required applied research and technical development programs. The complete l\tilitary Lunat· Base Program Report is suitable for use by personnel in a Program Office to establish a J Lunar Base Program, or to coordinate Air Force lunar requirements with the NASA. Based on present knowledge, the study has concluded that it is technically feasible to establish a manned base on the moon. "Technically feasible" is not meant to imp]~· that the equipments arc l available, or the techniques are completely known. Actually it means that the problems have been analyzed, and logical and reasonable extem;ions to the "state-of-the-art" should provide the desired techniques and equipments
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