2 ms·
Ok, we need about 3.1 km/s for translunar injection, about 1 km/s to enter Moon orbit and then some 2.4 km/s to cancel orbital velocity (1.7 km/s) and land. Tot
by avmich 9y ago
Ok, we need about 3.1 km/s for translunar injection, about 1 km/s to enter Moon orbit and then some 2.4 km/s to cancel orbital velocity (1.7 km/s) and land. Total is 6.5 km/s . For storable fuels with Isp of 3.5 km/s mass ratio becomes exp(6.5 / 3.5) = 6.4, so if you want to land 50,000 lbs mass on the Moon, you have to start from LEO having 320,000 lbs or 145 metric tons. More than Saturn V and more than twice FH. And here we don't even include tanks for fuel and engines which will get us to the Moon.
We can consider LOx/LH2 stage, which improve masses considerably. Wonder why SpaceX didn't buy XCOR yet?.. http://space-access.org/updates/sau148.html http://space-access.org/updates/sau148.html
So it's doable with at least one docking, and perhaps more. Maybe refueling should be involved as well.