OHM Light Weight Lunar Lander

[Max-Q]

This addon is an idea I had for a low-cost lunar landing mission using mostly off the shelf hardware.
Huge thanks to gattispilot for allowing me to use his EVA astronaut meshes!

Here is how the mission works:
The lander launches on a Falcon Heavy from SLC-40, then 20 seconds later a Falcon 9 carrying the Crew Dragon with trunk mounted main engine follows from LC-39A.
Once in orbit, Crew Dragon preforms a M=1 rendezvous and docks with the lander, still attached to Falcon Heavy.
The Falcon Heavy upper stage then relights, sending both on a translunar trajectory. Crew Dragon uses its main engine to drop into lunar orbit.
Once in lunar orbit, two astronauts transfer to the lander and head down to the surface. After a moonwalk, they launch and rendezvous with Crew Dragon.
Crew Dragon docks with the lander, and the landing crew transfer back over to Crew Dragon.
Crew Dragon uses its main engine to leave lunar orbit and head home for a direct entry.

The longer duration mission involves a pressurized HAB module that lands before the crew, allowing much longer stays.
The HAB features a VC with two fully functional MFDs. (Yeah, I know MFDs aren't all that useful in a spacecraft that stays landed, but hey...)

BE WARNED!!!
This is a really challenging mission!
A good working knowledge of LTMFD as well as basic spaceflight procedures such as rendezvous, docking, etc. are a must!
I have included a bunch of mission scenarios to help you figure out how to fly the mission.
If you need help with something specific, please feel free to ask me.

Required addons: (Means no scenario will CTD, but not that you can use the addon...)
DM-2 Crew Dragon
Falcon Heavy
Falcon 9R
Deep Space Crew Dragon

Strongly Recommended addons: (Means you need this stuff to fly the mission...)
Lunar Transfer MFD
PursuitMFD
BurnTimeCalcMFD
LOLA MFD

Recommended addons: (Means this stuff will really add to the experience but not "Required" per se...)
LC-39A SpaceX
D3D9 Client
D3D9 Surface Microtextures

Enjoy, Max-Q

Orbithangar Download Link
https://www.orbithangar.com/showAddon.php?id=b125e30f-fd7d-4c69-aa97-79d3bf90807b

 

[N_Molson]

Nice work, now we need the ultralight single-seater for Lunar Gemini ?

 

[Max-Q]

now we need the ultralight single-seater for Lunar Gemini ?

Guess what inspired this project…

 

[N_Molson]

?

 

[4throck]

Looks great! Always loved the open cockpit concept.
A cargo variation would be nice, to land some equipment and habitats before the crew arrives

 

[Max-Q]

A cargo variation would be nice, to land some equipment and habitats before the crew arrives

Well, I have a cargo version in the works…

Actually, I originally made this addon for my own personal use in orbiter 2010, and the original idea was a cargo lander to haul UCGO cargos from lunar orbit to the surface. Then, I realized I had a good lander so I did the crewed one. Since UCGO doesn’t work in 2016, I need to rethink what kind of cargo to carry… I was thinking of a pressurized hab module like you suggested that lands ahead of the crew. In theory, a Falcon 9 should be able to throw something like this to TLI.

 

[francisdrake]

A very nice addon!
The Deep Space Dragon and the Lightweight Lunar Lander make up good team for a simple Lunar mission using available commercial technology. Still, that open-roof lander scares me a bit, but the view is great!

Picking up Lunar dust on final approach is a visually impressing detail!

I did not find the Trans Lunar Injection so difficult. Used the good old Transfer MFD [Shift-X] and had a few 100 kg fuel left after TLI. Still have to work on the orientation during the perigee lowering maneuver, when using a hover engine.

I wonder if you could share a little information on the technical figures, like mass, fuel, ISP, etc.

 

[WolfAngriff]

If there are astronauts, it's a ggod addon !
Thanx for that, so sad i don't have much time for this one... I guess you know about UCSO, which provides a hub ?

 

[Max-Q]

Still, that open-roof lander scares me a bit, but the view is great!

Being an astronaut is not for the faint of heart!

perigee lowering maneuver, when using a hover engine.

DOI? I do that docked, using the crew dragon retro thrusters.

I wonder if you could share a little information on the technical figures, like mass, fuel, ISP, etc.

Absolutely! Need to go back and dig up the info.

If there are astronauts, it's a ggod addon !

Take a look at scenario #22

I guess you know about UCSO, which provides a hub ?

Yes. I still believe UCGO will someday be updated for 2016, so I don’t really want to code a bunch of stuff for UCSO and then undo it all for UCGO. I think a HAB module that the crew can enter to spend several days instead of hours is a better use of my time.

 

[Max-Q]

Here is the technical specs:

Dry mass - 489.9 kg (plus 70 kg for each astronaut)
Main propellant - 2592.4 kg
RCS propellant - 50 kg
Hover thrust - 3500 lbf
Hover ISP - 350 sec
RCS thrust - 25 lbf (each jet)
RCS ISP - 310 sec

Any other data wanted, just ask!

 

[Max-Q]

HAB Module in work...

 

[Kyle]

Started playing around with this mod. This is seriously cool, well done. I'm experimenting with using a Star48b as a optional third stage to put the lander into lunar orbit. Then having an Orion rendezvous-and-dock with it as a "quick-and-dirty" Artemis III mission.

 

[N_Molson]

My advice would be to try bump maps on the "goldfoil / MLI" textures. It really makes a difference with those shiny materials.

 

[Max-Q]

Actually, there are normal maps for all textures, but some of them aren’t really apparent… I will improve with them in the next update.

 

[N_Molson]

It is often a format problem with the .dds file, had to read the D3D9 client documentation a couple of times before getting it right.

 

[barrygolden]

This looks alot like the Lunar flyers that were proposed for Apollo. Don't think an open cockpit is the way to go maybe an inflatable would work. Sorry to say but I think the SLS is a bust. Might see One or 2 fly but doubt that. I know their man rating the Falcon heavy as we speak so that might have to be the way to make Artemis.
Love the addon any Ideas how to get the men to walk on the surface not below it

 

[Kyle]

This looks alot like the Lunar flyers that were proposed for Apollo. Don't think an open cockpit is the way to go maybe an inflatable would work. Sorry to say but I think the SLS is a bust. Might see One or 2 fly but doubt that. I know their man rating the Falcon heavy as we speak so that might have to be the way to make Artemis.
Love the addon any Ideas how to get the men to walk on the surface not below it

SpaceX is not human rating FH, they're human rating Starship for NASA missions.

 

[francisdrake]

perigee lowering maneuver, when using a hover engine.

DOI? I do that docked, using the crew dragon retro thrusters.

Actually it is not that hard to use a hover engine for orbital maneuvers. If the vessel is in a [Orbit Normal + or -] attitude, the hover engine points in the direction of flight.

But this maneuver may eat too much fuel. I struggle to launch from the Lunar surface back to orbit.


"... 5 forward ... picking up some dust ..."

 

[Max-Q]

Don't think an open cockpit is the way to go maybe an inflatable would work. Sorry to say but I think the SLS is a bust. Might see One or 2 fly but doubt that.

Why? There is no wind… Saves a lot of weight to ditch a pressure shell, O2 tanks, fans, hatches, etc, etc… means less fuel. As far as EVA suits, probably safer in deep space than earth orbit (Less debris).

any Ideas how to get the men to walk on the surface not below it

I don’t have this issue. IIRC, you need to set surface elevation to linear interpolation to fix this.

It is often a format problem with the .dds file, had to read the D3D9 client documentation a couple of times before getting it right.

They work, the effect is just really minimal. I have some vastly improved ones ready to go in the next update.

 

[barrygolden]

I don’t have this issue. IIRC, you need to set surface elevation to linear interpolation to fix this.

thanks for the help I have had this issue for years. I did make the change but still had the issue , seems you have to uncheck the box and that worked