File:AIAA2007-LunarOutpostStrategies.pdf

Conference paper entitled "Analysis of Human Lunar Outpost Strategies and Architectures"

Abstract: Recently published plans for a human lunar exploration campaign as part of the Vision for Space Exploration focus on the establishment of an outpost at the lunar South Pole with the intent of permanent or near-permanent inhabitation. This paper investigates potential lunar exploration alternatives to this strategy based on a small number of so-called campaign elements which could be placed end-to-end to build a lunar exploration campaign. Results indicate that special consideration should be given to campaign strategies that include what we term “intermediate outpost” missions, as such missions can provide significant value for Mars preparation early in the campaign and under certain conditions may obviate the need for a long-term outpost altogether. The paper also includes conceptual design analysis for technical lunar surface architectures based either on a full-size habitat pre-integrated on Earth or on a habitat that is assembled on the lunar surface out of multiple modules. Comparison of campaign performance shows that the differences between the technical surface architectures are small compared to the differences in campaign strategy; technical architectures therefore need to be compared on cost and risk. Based on cost and risk considerations, a lunar surface architecture with a full-size habitat pre-integrated on Earth is preferred. In general, the lunar surface system architecture should be designed to support all or most of the campaign elements in order to provide flexibility and robustness to programmatic change over the next decade before the actual implementation of the campaign.