Commercial Lunar Travel

I am planning three reusable two stage launchers capable of placing 20
tons each into LEO are built to support the deployment of a wireless
global braodband internet service with a 20 THz open optical backbone
on orbit.

Once this network is completed, these launchers are available to
perform other duties.

The profits from the communications services are used to build the
following payloads - capable of sending 12 people to the moon and
returning to Earth, with total reuse of all components.

All crew and passengers wear a long-duration mechanical counter-
pressure suit, each with its own TPS coating, and its own long-
duration life-support module. Each suit is designed for 15 days of
non-stop use. Each flight takes 9 days, including spending 1 day on
the lunar surface. Passengers (and crew) keep their custom made
suits, along with up to 20 kg of personal payloads (carrying out and/
or bringing back) Passenger and crews are free to sell the services
of bringing items to the moon, and taking items back from the moon for
sale.

Three payloads of 20 tons each transport nine articles that assembled
into a single 60 ton payload bound for the moon.

Payload 1: LUNAR INSERTION 1

17.86 tons of propellant
3.61 tons structure


Payload 2

A2 LUNAR INSERTION 2
12.18 tons of propellant
1.46 tons of structure

B2 LUNAR ORBIT STAGE
5.65 tons propellant
0.70 tons structure

C2 - LUNAR LANDING PROPELLANT
1.33 tons propellant
0.18 tons structure

Payload 3

A3 - LUNAR LANDING MODULE (less propellant)
1.18 tons -

B3, C3, D3 - LUNAR LANDING MODULE (+propellant)
2.36 tons x 3 = 7.08 tons

E3 - manned & cargo module (TPS)
11.74 tons

A dozen people are launched onto orbit in E3 - which also contains 4
LUNAR LANDING MODULES in a cargo module behind the 12 astronauts -
these modules are open to vacuum when removed from the cargo bay and
carry 3 space suited astronauts.

Four of these 12 are crew members. Eight are passengers each paying
$30 million to travel to the moon and back.. Each flight earns $240
million for the vehicle owners.

Each LLM consists of a hydrogen/oxygen tank collection. Each has a
large hydrogen tank 175cm in diameter massing 196 kg sits atop a
smaller oxygen tank 118cm in diameter massing 981 kg. A space frame
structure with three landing legs, and six small throttable engines
surrounding the oxygen tank - any three of which can land the
spacecraft - and three saddles to three astronauts to ride to the
surface and back - on this single stage vehicle.

All nine articles are assembled on orbit from 3 payloads.

The LUNAR INSERTION MODULE 1 is fired, and separates, then LUNAR
INSERTION MODULE 2 fires.

LIM-1 ascends to 17,700 km altitude and returns to Earth, re-enters
and lands for reuse.

LIM-2 continues with the payload to a Lunar Free Return trajectory.
It proceeds around the moon, and returns to Earth, re-enters and lands
for reuse.

LUNAR ORBIT STAGE fires on lunar farside and enters a low lunar orbit
50 km above the lunar surface. The LOS transfers 1.2 tons of
propellant to LUNAR LANDING MODULE A3 (LLM-A3).

LUNAR LANDING MODULE A3,B3,C3,D3 - all deploy on lunar orbit from the
cargo bay of the manned/cargo vehicle.

Crew and passengers transfer to the four vehicles, and all land on the
lunar surface, leaving the orbiting module untended on automatic. On
the moon the 12 explore the landing area, and then return after
spending a 'night' on the lunar surface, sleeping in their suits on
the surface, under reflective films.

Life support systems are powered by hydrogen and oxygen. Fuel cells
produce water as on Apollo and Shuttle. Also, hydrogen is used in the
Sabatier process to absorb CO2 and produce methane and more water.
Excess water along with methane is used to evaporatively cool the
spacesuit. 80 kg of hydrogen and oxygen are carried by each
astronaut enough to power the suit for 15 days. The trip is 9 days -
with up to 6 days to spare.

The landing modules can be operated automatically - to deposit up to
1,500 kg of payloads one way to the lunar surface - with return of the
vehicle. A crew of 4 - can carry 4,500 kg of payloads to the moon,
and return to Earth. This is enough to put up a small inflatable
structure permanent on the moon. Enough to provide for a dozen people
for up to 30 days.

Spare propellant can be accumulated on the surface to propel a lunar
landing module for local lunar 'flight' - two modes of operation.
One is suborbital flight from the 'base' - the other is hovering in
'flight' above the lunar surface.

Rmax = V^2 / g-lunar

g-lunar = 1.64 m/s2

Ballistic trajectory, takeoff, landing, and return and landing;
carries 1,000 kg payloads up to 500 kg.

Rmax(km) V(m/s) kg
1 162.0 83.7
2 229.1 117.5
5 362.2 183.0
10 512.2 254.5
20 724.4 351.7
50 1145.4 531.4
100 1619.9 714.6
200 2290.9 942.7
500 3622.2 1305.3

Hovering flight is also possible, for up to 31 minutes of flight
similar to that of a helicopter.

This footprints only type mission that uses relatively small reusable
launchers, with well designed payloads, can not only be self-
sufficient, but also begin settling and exploring the lunar surface
with a lightweight permanent settlement, and expand from landings
sites.

Combined structural mass is 7.2 tons, and at $10 million per ton, each
vehicle is $72 million per payload set. Non-recurring engineering
charges are $1.2 billion - and a set of 3 - cost an additional $0.2
billion.

Each commercial flight, with eight paying passengers - enough money is
earned to allow the placement of a permanent structure and a lunar
landing module converted to a lunar flight system, and six scientists
and scientific payloads for up to 30 days - and 4.5 tons of scientific
equipment.

Schools and research centers pay only for the training of the four
mission specialists, to join the four crew members, and scientific
payloads, to qualify for flight.

How many commercial flights can be supported?

http://www.ml.com/media/67216.pdf

There are 8.7 million people characterized as High Net Worth
Individuals - on average $3.79 million - with a minimum net worth of
$1 million. Since this is the tail end of a normal distribution
curve, its exponential in nature. So, every 5 fold increase in
wealth, there is a 1/10th fold decrease in numbers;

8,700,000 $1 million
870,000 $5 million
87,000 $25 million
8,700 $125 million
870 $625 million

So, how many would pay $30 million to spend a day or a week or a month
on the moon? Preliminary analysis of data in the World Wealth Report
suggests that one flight per month could be supported, and earn a
quarter bilion dollars which is then used to expand the infrastructure
on the moon.

A commercial flight each month, with 12 people, 8 passengers and 4
crew. A scientific flight each month, with 6 people and 4.5 tons of
equipment, with 4 mission specialists and 4 crew. $4 billion per year
is spent by the tourists each year, and another $2 billion spent by
universities and research centers.