The new Eagle has
landed
Vocabulary
• Landing Kit: Includes the lunar landing legs,
infrastructure, landing radar, etc.
• Lunar Investment: The amount of money needed to
fully fund a mission to the Moon
• Lunar Material: A certain substance that can only be
found on the Moon
• Powered Ascent Initiation (PAI):
requirements equal to 1,890 mps
• Powered Descent Initiation (PDI):
requirements equal to 2,181 mps
• Return On Investment (ROI): The percent increase of a
Narrative
really is no way around this important fact. The old adage
“No bucks, no Buck Rogers” certainly encapsulates this
attempted this feat. But there is a sea change underway.
Credit: Mark Wade/Boeing
recently, albeit with a little help from their friends, the US
10.0%).
Enter the Boeing Space Tug Study (circa 1971). This
reusable spaceship included a design for a Crew Module
(CM) and an Engine Module (EM) that were connected
together, Apollo-style.
Note: For a detailed treatment of this spacecraft and
the equation that follows, please see the previous issue of
RocketSTEM (May 2014).
The Boeing ship also held one last surprise: a lander kit
designed to be attached to the spacecraft to form a
reusable lunar lander! The lander kit included the landing
For a more in-depth treatment of this high
school project by Joe Maness & Rich Holtzin
visit www.stemfortheclassroom.com.
22
22
legs, a landing radar, extra batteries, etc., and weighed
890 lbs. Additionally, a donut-shaped Payload Tray was
attached to the bottom of the lander to allow crews on
the lunar surface easy access to the cargo brought down.
Despite how formidable the Boeing space tug was, it
day-to-day operating costs as well?
Analysis
Lunar Lander and all associated equipment and other