Team Members
Leonardo Arrigoni, David Avalos, Matthew Cahill, Nicholas Finale, Parker Gerlander, Srajat Rastogi, James Wnek
Abstract
The Transportable Unmanned Lunar Spacecraft (T.U.L.S) is a semi-autonomous, reusable lunar lander capable of exploring up to 300 km from Shackleton Crater Station. The T.U.L.S. can deliver up to 200 kg of various payloads, such as scientific rovers, emergency supplies, and replacement hardware. The T.U.L.S. utilizes cryogenic LOX/LCH4 to fuel two 870-lbf engines and twelve 100-lbf RCS thrusters for suborbital flight. The GNC system uses multiple instruments to reach a landing precision of 17.59 cm with a flight path angle of 70 degrees. All the subsystems in the T.U.L.S. add up to a dry mass of 1171.7 kg and a wet mass of 1996.3 kg. The project budget is $1.13 billion, while the unit cost is $213 million. The concept of operations starts with pre-launch operations, which includes the assembly of the T.U.L.S. and delivery to the launchpad. The T.U.L.S. will be loaded on the Starship as a payload. The Starship will begin its launch to the moon in November 2030. When it reaches the moon, the Starship will land on Shackleton Crater Station. Once loaded off the Starship, the T.U.L.S will be deployable for its missions within the 300 km range from Shackleton Crater Station. Future resupply missions for the T.U.L.S will be coordinated with SpaceX, NASA, and other CPLS for refueling and maintenance supplies.