Here's ~300 pages of 1959 space goodness-- ABMA's study for NASA outlining a Lunar Exploration Program using Saturn Boosters. This is from back when ABMA was still US Army... The plan includes everything from orbital refuelling of LOX/LH2, lunar roving vehicles (unmanned), 2 and 3 man lunar flybys and landings, a lunar cargo vehicle, all the way up to a 20 man Lunar Base or Observatory! The mission mode is direct landing and return, using Saturn I boosters and perhaps a NOVA type vehicle later on.

Interesting read from the very dawn of the space age-- back when the Saturn I test firing was "expected soon"... when discussions with Project Mercury involved adapting their escape rockets to the completely different capsule designs ABMA was coming up with, based on Jupiter missile nosecones! (and capable of transporting SIXTEEN personnel at one time!) Its an interesting insight into what was envisioned compared to what eventually came to be... with some interesting rocket designs thrown in! Even here, at the very beginning, the booster program they outline is called the "space transportation system" (STS became the formal moniker for the space shuttle program) and even plans on using AIRBAGS for soft lunar landings of unmanned instrument packages, in a mode almost identical to what was eventually used to deliver the Mars Sojourner rover and the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity to the Martian surface almost 50 years later! It's all here... even some rather interesting ideas about using BLIMPS to transport upper stages from distant inland (or west coast) contractors to the Atlantic Missile Range (KSC before it was KSC) for launch, since rail and road were impractical, the Super Guppy hadn't been thought of yet, and ship transport took too long...

Interesting stuff! Enjoy! OL JR

Attached Files

NASA Study Summary- A Lunar Exploration Program Based Upon Saturn Boosted Systems.txt (24.5 KB, 27 views)

__________________
The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!

Pic one is the lunar landing vehicle for the 'stationary packet' (lunar soft landing unmanned instrument package)...


Pic two is the manned lunar circumnavigation vehicle... note the inverted "Jupiter missile nosecone" heatshield behind the astronaut...


Pic three is the Lunar Roving Vehicle, an unmanned rover hauling an experiment package across the lunar surface at 3 mph. The thing had mylar/stainless steel(or titanium) mesh tires 16 feet high and 5 feet wide...


Pic four is the landing sequence of the roving vehicle-- it would jettison the cover and inflate its tires, land 'on its side' (one wheel down) and then "tip over" onto its other wheel. It was 'self righting' from there, as the instrument package was suspended under the axle. It used a self-trailing wheel to arrest the torque of its two wheel drive motors.


Pic five is some of the various vehicles contemplated for manned lunar missions...


More to come! OL JR

Attached Thumbnails

         

__________________
The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!

First pic is Saturn C, the 'second choice' or more capable booster proposed for this lunar program. The first choice was the Saturn "B-1" as outlined in the summary...


Second pic is the 'manned orbital transport"...


Third pic is the manned orbital return vehicle, seating for SIXTEEN anyone??


Fourth pic is the orbital refuelling operation-- note the "2001" wheel space station Von Braun was always so fond of! Also note the "hard suit" type MMU vehicles for the individual astronauts to work in space, undocking from the station and flying out to service the refuelling vehicles... (reminds me of Dr. Zooch's Ant Space Suits LOL)


Fifth pic is the Lunar Landing Vehicle...


More coming! OL JR

Attached Thumbnails

         

__________________
The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!

Pic one is the orbital launched lunar landing vehicle... refuelled in orbit by tankers launched from Earth, then flown to the moon and landed...


Pic two is the lunar landing vehicle...


Pic three is the lunar earth return vehicle...


Pic four is Saturn booster transport by water from Huntsville to AMR (later known as KSC)


Pic five is the RECOVERY of the Saturn I first stage at sea after the launch (yep the Saturn I was to be the first reusable first stage!)


More coming! OL JR

Attached Thumbnails

         

__________________
The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!

Pic one is the service gantry, erecting the first stage of a Saturn I...


Pic two is a three stage Saturn with the umbilical tower...


Pic three is the industrial area at AMR, sometime before 1959...


That's it for this one! Later! OL JR

Attached Thumbnails

     

__________________
The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!