Thomas Lee Elifritz wrote in message ...
September 21, 2004
wrote:
Put a capsule on the Delta IV Medium, and lunar circumnavigation is
possible, using the upper stage as your service module.

Only if your (command) module, and all of the life support and
guidance propulsion requirements, have a mass that is less
than 4 metric tons for Delta IV-M or no more than about
6 metric tons for Delta IV-M+(5,4).

My group is not interested in SRB propulsion, so we are focusing on a 3
ton limit for manned lunar circumnavigation.


Sounds like a slimmed-down Lunar Gemini type effort.
Engineering reviews of the time called Lunar Gemini,
possible, but marginal. Earth orbit Geminis weighed
in at more than 3.8 metric tons.

As I stated, we are focusing on a manned lunar circumnavigation for the
purposes of space advocacy and IMAX and film production, solar power and
hydrogen energy conversion technology promotion, hydrogen propulsion
promotion, and of course, Boeing Delta IV Medium promotion. The mass
fractions are tight for this mission, but should be doable with modern
design criteria, techniques and equipment. To us, it makes very little
sense to actually orbit and land on the moon at this point in the
process.


Why not do a privately funded unmanned mission(s) instead?
Wouldn't that accomplish most of these goals? And might
it not be possible to use a cheaper launch vehicle
than Delta IV-M (Delta II, Rokot, Falcon) to actually put
an unmanned spacecraft in lunar orbit?

- Ed Kyle