Mars via the Moon by Erik Seedhouse

Author:Erik Seedhouse
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

Transport

In this section, we will discuss the possible mode(s) of transport that may be utilized by those commercial entities setting up shop on the Moon. One option mentioned is the Falcon Heavy (Figure 4.1), which costs US$85 million per launch. This launcher will be capable of delivering 53 tonnes to low Earth orbit (LEO) but only about 10 tonnes to low lunar orbit (LLO), which is slightly less than the throw weight of the Delta IV Heavy (around US$350 to US$400 million per launch) and Atlas V (around US$225 million per launch) launchers. So why go with the Falcon Heavy which has no flight experience, when it is possible to use a launcher with an extensive flight history? Money? Perhaps not. Selecting the Falcon Heavy means tweaking the mission architecture a little, which means a more complex mission design in which the lunar exploration program would have to be assembled in LEO using several launches: one for the crewed vehicle, another for the lander, and another for the translunar injection stage – not as elegant as the traditional approach of launching the whole kit and caboodle on one launcher, and not as safe because increased launches means increased risk. Still, it would be cheaper than the Delta IV Heavy (Figure 4.2) and Atlas V (Figure 4.3) options because neither of these launchers can send the entire lunar exploration program on one launch either. So we’ll put the Falcon Heavy on the “maybe” list of options.

4.1SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy. Credit: SpaceX

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