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How many launches are required to land on the Moon?
by 2OEH8eoCRo0 3y ago
How many launches are required to land on the Moon?
- DarmokJalad1701 3y agoDepends on what lunar lander hardware is being used. If we were using Apollo hardware: Apollo LM: 16 metric tons (landing about 5 tons on the moon) Apollo CSM: 29 metric tons The third stage of the Saturn V, called the S-IVB, (which was used for the trans-lunar injection burn) weighed 123 tons - however this was also used to get into the initial orbit. Starship can launch 150 tons to LEO in reusable mode or ~200 mt when expended. The Saturn V was able to launch 141 tons to LEO. So it should theoretically be possible for Starship to launch an LM+CSM stack with an S-IVB with enough fuel for a trans-lunar injection burn. Then fly the rest of the mission as in Apollo. Or we can refuel the Starship a few times in LEO using a bunch of re-usable flights and land 100 tons of payload on the lunar surface. The latter is probably cheaper and simpler at this point.
- GuB-42 3y agoAccording to this: https://youtu.be/OoJsPvmFixU?si=Df6Eq9uq6IJCApUs&t=1730 https://youtu.be/OoJsPvmFixU?si=Df6Eq9uq6IJCApUs&t=1730 Six... eight... more like twelve... at least 15
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]