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Lockheed Martin today unveiled a new lunar lander concept at the International Astronautical Congress in Germany, offering the public a glimpse of a lander who could one day take a crew to the Moon. . The company explained that it was a reusable lander involving, among other things, NASA's Orion spacecraft systems. In addition to four people, the initial configuration of the undercarriage supports a payload of 2,000 lbs of freight.
Lockheed's new lunar concept would align with NASA's Mars and Gateway missions, the latter involving a space station in lunar orbit. The concept involves a one-step lunar landing system with crew that is fully reusable. According to the company, the initial configuration would allow a crew of four to spend a few weeks on the moon before returning to NASA's planned bridge.
Lockheed Martin, once back at the gate, indicates that his reusable undercarriage could be serviced, refueled, and then left ready for the next ground mission. The LG could be deployed at various locations on the Moon, a technology that can meet a variety of needs, including scientific and commercial.
Tim Cichan, an exploration architect at Lockheed, explained:
The gateway is the key to the complete, frequent and fast reuse of this lander. Because this lander does not have to undergo punishment to return to Earth's atmosphere, it can be flown over and over without requiring extensive and expensive renovations. This is one of the main benefits of Gateway and a modular, flexible and reusable approach to deep space exploration.
All of this could help pave the way for a possible human move on Mars, offering lessons that can be incorporated into future Mars landing gear, among others.
SOURCE: Lockheed Martin
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