Team Members
Noah Burns, Dan Hardwick, Cole Jenkins, Anastasia Koneva, Cameron Newborn, Molly O’Sullivan, Brittany Silvester
Abstract
In 2030 Lunar South Pole near Shackleton Crater will be the likely location for a permanent base of operations as part of the Artemis missions. Moon exploration will eventually extend human presence away from Lunar Base Camp for up to 45 days. In an emergency, astronauts could face up to 23 days before emergency supplies arrive using a surface vehicle. LunaVista has designed the Suborbital Lunar Transport (SLT) system, which is a rocket-powered vehicle, to deliver a 200 Kg payload to an emergency location within hours. The SLT can also deliver scientific payloads. The concept of operations has two parts: delivery of the SLT and lunar operations. The Space Launch System will deliver the SLT to a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit around the moon to rendezvous with the Lunar Gateway space station. From Lunar Gateway, the SLT will undock to descent to a parking orbit before entering a transfer ellipse where the SLT may safely remain if a problem occurs. At periapsis of the transfer ellipse, power descent initiation is performed to land at Shackleton Crater Station near the Lunar South Pole. There, it will undergo necessary maintenance and refueling. For lunar operations, a payload will be installed aboard the SLT, located at Shackleton Crater Station. The SLT will then be launched to a site within 300 km, with navigation and hazard avoidance provided by the SPLICE system. Upon arrival, the payload can be deployed automatically or manually. After the payload has been delivered, the SLT will return to the Lunar Base.