NASA Deep Space Gateway
Discussion
Article about NASA's planned Deeps Space gateway station which will(?) be placed in Lunar orbit. Interesting how they are planning to compete the launch of its first element - presumably the planners have as little faith in SLS surviving as the rest of us
https://www.space.com/39985-nasa-lunar-orbital-pla...
https://www.space.com/39985-nasa-lunar-orbital-pla...
Einion Yrth said:
Leaves a lot to be desired in terms of stability - station keeping propellant needed.
Lagrange points are in gravitational equilibrium so they would require much less fuel than a near orbit. Consider how often the ISS needs a burn into a higher orbit. As a deep space launch platform, any probes (or space craft if we gets that far) it would require less fuel to escape. Escaping the gravity well is costly in energy/fuel.Einion Yrth said:
4x4Tyke said:
What I don't understand is why put it in Lunar orbit instead of L1, which would provide for a signification reduction in energy/fuel for transfer orbits.
Leaves a lot to be desired in terms of stability - station keeping propellant needed.RobDickinson said:
Deep space stuff!
Missions to.. Places. In deep. Space. Things.
Somewhere for the space force to be based?
In the unlikely event that I ever become in charge of a country or a really rich cult, you sir are going to be offered the high office position of being “in charge of space things and sciency stuff”Missions to.. Places. In deep. Space. Things.
Somewhere for the space force to be based?
4x4Tyke said:
Einion Yrth said:
Leaves a lot to be desired in terms of stability - station keeping propellant needed.
Lagrange points are in gravitational equilibrium so they would require much less fuel than a near orbit. Consider how often the ISS needs a burn into a higher orbit. As a deep space launch platform, any probes (or space craft if we gets that far) it would require less fuel to escape. Escaping the gravity well is costly in energy/fuel.
(trying to keep up here)The lunar halo orbits mentioned in the article, while having the benefits of being permanently visible from Earth for communications and being in permanent sunlight for power, would be a bugger to get to.
The easiest lunar orbit to get to, launching from Earth, is a simple equatorial/low inclination circular one as used by the Apollo missions. The launch window timing isn't particularly critical as the trajectory can be tweaked en-route, and once in an orbit with the same inclination as the target then rendezvous with it is relatively simple.
A highly elliptical polar orbit however would need some precise timing to allow a rendezvous
The easiest lunar orbit to get to, launching from Earth, is a simple equatorial/low inclination circular one as used by the Apollo missions. The launch window timing isn't particularly critical as the trajectory can be tweaked en-route, and once in an orbit with the same inclination as the target then rendezvous with it is relatively simple.
A highly elliptical polar orbit however would need some precise timing to allow a rendezvous
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