Our Crew Module (CM) is designed with echoes from past blueprints. It will contain the standard list of equipment and machinery.
STRUCTURE
- Outer Shell
- Load Carrying Frame
- Micrometeoroid Shield
- Insulation
- Radiators
- Panels
- Heat Exchanger
- Pumps
- Food Preparation Station
- Shower/Toilet
ELECTRICAL POWER
- Batteries
- Regulators
- Junction Boxes
- Wires
- Cables
- Power Distribution
COMMUNICATIONS
- TVs
- Audio
- Antenna
- Data Management
INSTRUMENTATION
- Displays
- Controls
- Wiring
- Lighting
MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT
- Maintenance Hardware
- Backup Equipment
The Environmental Controls / Life Support Systems (EC/LSS) maintains internal pressurization and humidity levels. It converts Liquid Oxygen and Nitrogen (LO2 and LN2) into gaseous form (GO2 and GN2) to make breathable air.
Liquid water (LH2O) is converted to gaseous form (GH2O) and used for humidity control.
We will use a Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) to "scrub" the atmosphere of Carbon Dioxide (CO2).
EC/LSS
- Hardware
- LO2 Storage
- GO2 Distribution
- LN2 Storage
- GN2 Distribution
- Atmospheric Pressurization
- LH2O Storage
- GH2O Distribution
- Internal Temperature Regulators
- CDRA
CREW MODULE INTERIOR
A professional interior designer will offer color pallets
The elevation of Spaceport America is 1.401 km above Mean Sea Level (MSL). The atmospheric pressure at this altitude is 85,081.3 Pa (12.34 psi or 0.84 atm). This air pressure will be maintained inside the CMs as well.
The CM will begin life as a core vehicle, with the cockpit in the front and the EC/LSS equipment and controls in the back, including three options available on each side (Image 1).
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| Image 1: Crew Module options interior view |
The three side options include:
- 3 EVA Ports
- 2 EVA Ports plus Extra Storage
- Sensor equipment and displays
- Window
The sensor equipment and displays will be used for science monitoring, etc.
The sensor displays and the window are of the same approximate mass, and is counted as part of the static mass of the CM.
The spacesuits will be connected to the EVA Ports outside of the CM. Astronauts will disconnect from the CM to float away or walk away, depending on the environment. Whilst on the Moon the astronaut will be lowered to the lunar surface.
A shroud will envelop the spacesuits for protection from the sun. Since this should cause a permanent shadow situation where the temperatures will drop considerably, we propose using waste heat (if possible) to keep the enclosed area relatively warm.
CREW MODULE EXTERIOR
Once the pieces are put together, the CM will take the shape of a cylinder (Image 2).
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| Image 2: Crew Module Options interior view |
Our CMs will not only be cylindrical in shape but will be "stackable" to create a 2–level and 3–level environment. A one–level CM will be abbreviated as CM1, a two–level CM as CM2, and a three–level as CM3. A rich variety of orbital and lunar missions become available because of the incorporation of the concept of reuse and commonality.
The CM mass calculation is broken down into two parts: the static mass and the dynamic mass. The static mass is like the name implies; it is the mass of the CM that comes standard and does not change from mission to mission.
CM STATIC MASS
The static mass of each crew module "stack" is listed in the tables below.
CM DYNAMIC MASS
The dynamic mass of the CM will include the following items:
- Spacesuits
- EVA Equipment
- EC/LSS
- Contingency
- Crew
- Food
- Crew Systems
They will be discussed in the next seven chapters. The Dynamic Mass is determined by the number of astronauts and the mission duration (in days). The CM will be designated using three sets of numbers: the number of astronauts, the number of spacesuits, and how long the mission lasts.
For example, a Crew Module designated as CM3_12–10–42 means a three–deck "stack" with twelve astronauts and ten spacesuits for forty–two days (Image 3).
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| Image 3: An example CM designation |
There will be a total of 9 different production CM missions and designations. Additionally, there will be 3 temporary CM configurations, with 3 units of each produced.
TOTAL CM MASS
The mass of the CM is calculated by adding together the static and dynamic masses.
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