Quite a few people have criticized the NASA architecture for developing
new launch vehicles whilst lower cost alternatives exist, or will
exist.

Suppose in 2011,
- SpaceX has flown Falcon 9 succesfully, including its 25 ton version.
- The President says "Constellation is a good idea, but needs to be
done cheaper, so scrap the SDHLV and save $10 billion".

A descent moon mission could be flown with three Falcon 9 launched
Earth Departure Stages, with no orbital propellant transfer, and
"assembley" consisting of joining up units. (Already planned). The CEV
could be launched on the Stick (only a NASA vehicle being good enough
for its Astronauts). The Earth Departure Stages would be cheap, and
assembled in volume, and launched well before the other flights.

But how can you get a descent lunar lander, capable of landing ~10 tons
on the lunar surface, into the 5.2m dimater faring offered by SpaceX
(or Boeing, LM, or the Stick)?

Can this be done without orbital assembley?


One idea I had would be a lander that consists of two propulsion units
that would fit either side of the payload, and would be joined across
the top by a "bridge". The payload would fit in the middle, suspended
from the joining bridge. This bridge would be telescopic, enabling the
two propulsion units to be launched together inside a single faring.

This has the advantage that no crane or ramp is needed to lower the
payload to the lunar surface, and payload can be of almost any shape
and size. However, it needs two propulsion units, and both must work,
doubling failure probability. and engine out would lead to certain
mission destruction.