Post by lordroel on Apr 24, 2022 17:03:58 GMT
In 1981 the program started literal with Lunar Orbital Space Station (LOSS) on a Saturn VC,
It’s was not the glorious white Saturn from Apollo program, but a dirty orange rocket covered in cheap isolation foam.
This was the industrial workhorse of NASA bringing heavy payloads into low earth orbit.
LOSS was backup module of Space Station,
Here the LOSS was welcome by a Space tug that prepared docking with fuelled Reusable Nuclear Shuttle-1 (RNS-1).
4 day later it brought LOSS into 80 km high polar lunar orbit and deploy it.
A month later return RNS-1 with Space Tug a Crew & Cargo Logistic Modul with 6 astronauts and Scientific Instrument Module (SIM).
The crew took over LOSS and dock SIM at Station and start scientific mission to scann Lunar surface.
One of astonishing discovery was hydroxide on Lunar surface, confirming the findings of Apollo 21 !
Later they found Ice on both Lunar poles with help of new radar experiment on SIM
On return RNS-1 to earth orbit, was inspected by it service Tugs, who found a troublesome discovery, cracks in reactor core.
While Media hyped the situation to a „New Apollo 13“, NASA look into problem: the NERVA original design for 20 operation failed after 12.
The LOSS Crew was not in danger, if necessary a manned Space Tug (chemical) with additional propellant tanks could return them to a space Shuttle.
NASA decided to launch RNS-2 into low orbit in hope it would perform better, while the service Tugs prepared the RNS-1 disposal.
The next Mission bought two Lunar tug, their docking system for LOSS and two reserve propellant tanks.
Those tugs were docked on LOSS side ports by it robotic arms. follow arrival of its crew that increased temporal the station crew to 12 astronauts.
One of first landing crew was eager to return to Moon is: Harrison Schmitt the first geologist who walk on Moon.
The other is John Young, Pilot of Gemini, Apollo CSM, Lunar module, Space Shuttle and now Lunar Tug
both and rookie astronaut Tom Hanks were first Americans to land on Moon since Apollo 21.
Hanks: Man this great, really great man !
Schmitt: Moon, I’m back…
Young: can we get serious now?
Schmitt: Moon, I’m back…
Young: can we get serious now?
With allot problems and near disasters, Like Solar Flairs, micro meteoroid impact on Station,
Abort landing attempts, issue with Lunar dust and deadly accidents during Lunar EVA.
In 1996 the Station was de-orbit and crash into Lunar crater, its replacement was the US Base Robert Peary on Lunar South Pole.
Back In 1981 in Los Alamos AEC checkt their NERVA engines, if there were any constructions errors in Design.
There was dispute because AEC demanded that RNS-1 engine is return to Earth with Shuttle for evaluation, what NASA right out refused !
But it was clear for NASA that somehow that engine must be evaluated and that on ground by AEC.
At Marshal Space Flight Center had someone the Solution, using a Boilerplate article from Mars Exploration Module
equip lead container and parachutes, so started one of the most expensive salvage operation in History.
in 1982 a Saturn VC launched Salvage One into Rendezvous Orbit towards RNS-1
It was functional test article of MEM with reenforced heat shield, it second stage replace by Storage container and Parachute.
At RNS-1 the two inspection Tugs began complex task to disconnect Nerva Engine and insert into Salvage One
Biggest problem was to cut off the nozzle from engine so it fit into container and seal it.
Then Salvage One began its return to Earth, it landing target was the Johnson Atoll in middle of Pacific.
it plash down save, surrounded by US Navy Taskforce and brought to Johnson „Plutonium Yard“
The disappointing Result: it was not engine design errors, it was the material the reactor was build.
That Graphite UC-ZrC Alloy in space, suffer more of hydrogen corrosion and radioactive isotope contamination as expected.
The Reactor In Flight Test 1&2 had only 3 and 4 Ignitions, What NASA and AEC consider as qualification and declare RIFT-2 to RNS-1
But after 12 ignitions the Reactor core was so weaken by hydrogen corrosion and crack under thermal stress during cool down.
While NASA and ACE blame each other for the fiasco, the Scientist in Los Alamos start working on the Problem.
For moment the current generation of NERVA engine are limited to 12 ignitions, then disposed in space.
Under current situation it was consider the engines were unsafe for Manned Mars Mission…
NASA Moonlab looks great.
