Difference between revisions of "Where to go first"

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The Moon is a big place, and we can only work a small area first. The current thinking is Shackleton crater, but, either prove us wrong, or help us with our argument. Tell us exactly where to land first. Please be as specific as you can.
 
The Moon is a big place, and we can only work a small area first. The current thinking is Shackleton crater, but, either prove us wrong, or help us with our argument. Tell us exactly where to land first. Please be as specific as you can.
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12/30/08
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Given the difficulty of just reaching the Moon, we need to locate on the surface area most easily reached from the chosen launch site.
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Shackleton is out.  A 90-degree plane change pre-landing is going to have ruinous payload penalties.  Shackleton can be reached overland after the initial (transportation) base is operable.  Though probably not until after we have gone through chinese customs.
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You need to start by establishing a lattitude for the launch site.
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As a baseline, launching north of 28.5 degrees north (or south) of the equator can be ruled out as not real favorable form a payload perspective.
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On the lunar surface, an equatorial base makes a balance from between a transportation point of view for launch frequency and payload performance.  Starting with the zero-degree meridian, I would not station more than 85 degrees east or west.  This ensures your communications will always be line-of-site and not through any kind of relay.
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You want to avoid mountains too close to the landing site.
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Ideally, you want to be near a point where the maria makes contact with a mountain range for best availability of useful minerals.
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This suggests five sites: @64-degrees west, northwest of crater Lohrmann A; 30-degrees west, directly west of crater Lansberg; 0/0-degrees, smack in the middle of Sinus Meridiani; 24 degrees east, just to the north of crater Moltke (and east of Rima Hypatia, south of the Apollo 11 site); 58-degrees east, northwest of crater Webb.
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Of course, this is not an exhaustive analysis.  In any case we really should be emphasizing transportation requirements for Base #1.

Revision as of 22:52, 29 December 2008

The Moon is a big place, and we can only work a small area first. The current thinking is Shackleton crater, but, either prove us wrong, or help us with our argument. Tell us exactly where to land first. Please be as specific as you can.

12/30/08 Given the difficulty of just reaching the Moon, we need to locate on the surface area most easily reached from the chosen launch site. Shackleton is out. A 90-degree plane change pre-landing is going to have ruinous payload penalties. Shackleton can be reached overland after the initial (transportation) base is operable. Though probably not until after we have gone through chinese customs.

You need to start by establishing a lattitude for the launch site.

As a baseline, launching north of 28.5 degrees north (or south) of the equator can be ruled out as not real favorable form a payload perspective.

On the lunar surface, an equatorial base makes a balance from between a transportation point of view for launch frequency and payload performance. Starting with the zero-degree meridian, I would not station more than 85 degrees east or west. This ensures your communications will always be line-of-site and not through any kind of relay.

You want to avoid mountains too close to the landing site.

Ideally, you want to be near a point where the maria makes contact with a mountain range for best availability of useful minerals.

This suggests five sites: @64-degrees west, northwest of crater Lohrmann A; 30-degrees west, directly west of crater Lansberg; 0/0-degrees, smack in the middle of Sinus Meridiani; 24 degrees east, just to the north of crater Moltke (and east of Rima Hypatia, south of the Apollo 11 site); 58-degrees east, northwest of crater Webb.

Of course, this is not an exhaustive analysis. In any case we really should be emphasizing transportation requirements for Base #1.

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