[X] My Assistant

[ronatu]

Do you know that Russains could be on Moon first?
This is how:

http://site.voila.fr/space-models/model/n1/n1_miss.htm

[RedSky]

To the Moon....

Just a few weeks ago at the other Mars board, the subject of tourism to and beyond low earth orbit came up. I suggested that it might be feasible for Russia to do so when (if) its new 6 passenger Kliper vehicle became available. If they put a Mir core-type (Zvesda) module into LEO, they could then use it as living quarters for a swingby trip around the moon. The start of the tourist mission would begin with a transfer stage (say, something like the old Saturn S4B upper stage) docking to the core. Once done, the Kliper would go up a few days later and dock to the core with 2 pilots and 4 passengers. Then they would TLI the "Lunar Swingby Station" into a free-return trajectory around the moon. Not only would there be a day or two of good moon viewing... but don't forget what the view of approaching earth from that distance would be like! Then, upon return, a burn from the transfer stage would put the assembly into a high capture orbit. This would be lowered over a few days, until the Core was back in its normal parking orbit. The Transfer Stage is then jettisoned and deorbited into the ocean. The Kliper then returns from LEO as it normally would. Then, every few tourist missions, the Core would be visited by a dedicated re-stocking mission.

I never dreamed they'd try offering this now! The reason I thought this would all wait until the 6-person Kliper is that just having one passenger in a Soyuz would probably not be that cost-effective. Even though the original Soyuz was meant to be a lunar ship (comparable to the Apollo CSM), and could probably be re-adapted to that purpose, it would be a very stoic passenger indeed to be willing to spend $100 million for a week in a tiny Soyuz with 2 cosmonauts.

With 4 passengers in a Kliper and a Core living module, though, that's $400 million in sales per mission, which even might make a profit. Besides the Kliper, the only added development would be the transfer stage, that might have to be more powerful than the S4B in order for the earth return capture burns, instead of a direct fast entry. But the savings in the reuse of the (Mir) Core might make having that larger stage worthwile just for the return capture.

[Bob Shaw]

As I understand the proposal, there are indeed two options. One uses an on-orbit life-expired 'Taxi' Soyuz with a Zond heatshield, while the other involves a dedicated Lunar Soyuz launch. Obviously, the former saves money, and gives any paying passenger(s) a week or so aboard the ISS, too. Speaking of which, some sources are quoting two passengers, which might preclude the Taxi option - but would pay the Russians rather more. I don't doubt that a l-o-o-o-n-g queue of returning ISS crews would be prepared to spend a few days extra in cramped quarters in order to visit the Moon, somehow!

In any case, the next step after organising the presence in LEO of a crewed Soyuz is to launch (according to some tiny graphics I saw) what looks like a Breeze-M upper stage on a Proton. You will all be aware, of course, that Breeze-M is based on the original Zond translunar escape stage, making history repeat itself to a pleasing degree. However, things get still more interesting. Zond was launched atop it's translunar stage, and with no Orbital Module. The new proposals seem to show a Pirs-class Habitation Module attached to the upper stage, with which the Soyuz would dock, thereby providing both a physical connection and extra living space. Presumably, 35 years of gradual improvement to Proton will have upped it's payload weight to the point where the margins are more than adequate. So, it's not merely a trip to the Moon aboard a Soyuz, but there's a nice big extra room (with a view) too!

I'm saving already!

[RedSky]

... Speaking of which, some sources are quoting two passengers, which might preclude the Taxi option - but would pay the Russians rather more.

I really wouldn't have thought a 2-passenger option as being feasible. Would it really be prudent for there to be 2 passengers and only one pilot in a Soyuz for a 7-day circumlunar trip? From a matter of potential health problems, I would want at least another qualified pilot there. I doubt the passengers' space training would involve Soyuz piloting.

That's why I always thought a mission like this would wait for the 6-man Kliper (2 pilots and 4 paying passengers), and a larger living module (like a Mir Core, or smaller Salute-type module) that was reusable and stayed in a LEO parking orbit between tourist missions.