Credit: © Mark Wade. 3,131 bytes. 321 x 191 pixels.
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| LM Shelter - LM Shelter 160 pixels Credit: © Mark Wade. 3,131 bytes. 321 x 191 pixels. |
Essentially an Apollo LM lunar module with ascent stage engine and fuel tanks removed and replaced with consumables, scientific equipment for 14 days extended lunar exploration. Requiring two Saturn V launches, LM shelter would be landed on one launch, with manned Apollo CSM accompanying it conducting lunar orbit surveying operations only. A second Saturn V launch would deliver another CSM and LM Taxi combination to lunar orbit. The crew would take the LM taxi to the surface, landing near the shelter. Work was planned to begin in 1966, with 1-2 missions per year beginning in 1970 after accomplishment of the manned lunar landing goal. In the event, only the Lunar Rover vehicle, used in the later Apollo missions, ever saw actual use.
In order to house the astronauts during their 14-day stay a two-man STEP expandable shelter was an alternate to the LM Shelter. The STEP could be delivered by an LM descent stage together with a slightly higher discretionary payload than the LM shelter could carry. Either shelter would be delivered first by a logistics flight where the crew merely orbited in the CSM until the automated shelter-carrying LM had landed, and then returned to Earth, thus being able to use the Apollo CSM unchanged. The logistics flight was followed by the personnel transport. Because of the interval between first and second landing, the shelter-carrying LM had to be given a 90-day quiescent capability. The second flight would land the crew using the LM Taxi while the 30-day CSM waited in lunar orbit. After landing, the crew shut down the LM Taxi and activated the shelter system. Two weeks later, the LM Taxi was reactivated and the crew returned to the CSM and back to Earth.
 | LM Shelter Credit: © Mark Wade. 7,534 bytes. 623 x 371 pixels. |
Craft.Crew Size: 2. Design Life: 14 days. Total Length: 6.4 m. Maximum Diameter: 4.3 m. Total Habitable Volume: 6.65 m3. Total Mass: 14,700 kg. Total Payload: 2,300 kg. Total Propellants: 8,000 kg. Primary Engine Thrust: 4,491 kgf. Main Engine Propellants: N2O4/UDMH. Main Engine Isp: 311 sec. Total spacecraft delta v: 2,400 m/s. Electrical System: Fuel Cells.
 | Post-Apollo lunar - Comparison of American post-Apollo lunar spacecraft. Credit: © Mark Wade. 7,240 bytes. 737 x 249 pixels. |
Grumman submitted to NASA its final report on a study of AES for Earth-orbit missions (conducted under the firm's contract for a LEM utilization study). The five-volume report comprised general engineering studies, mission and configuration descriptions for different groups of experiments (both NASA's and those for the Air Force's Manned Orbiting- Laboratory), and a cost and schedule analysis. Additional Details: Grumman final report on a study of LEM utilization for AES Earth-orbit missions..
 | Post-Apollo lunar - Comparison of American post-Apollo lunar spacecraft. Credit: © Mark Wade. 12,347 bytes. 557 x 467 pixels. |
Meeting at Headquarters, Deputy Administrator Robert C. Seamans, Jr., Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight George E. Mueller, and Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications Homer E. Newell made several significant program decisions affecting AAP and post-Apollo development planning in general: MSFC would be the lead Center for developing the ATM and would be responsible for all astronomy experiments. MSFC would be the lead Center for 'lunar engineering'-i.e., design and development of lunar exploration vehicles (including surface modules, supply trucks, and roving vehicles). MSC would have responsibility for Earth resources and lunar scientific experiments.
 | Lunar Exploration - Lunar Exploration Plans Credit: © Mark Wade. 15,347 bytes. 635 x 472 pixels. |
These modified craft took the form of a LM taxi, ferry and logistics craft, a LM shelter, and an 'augmented' LM. Disher authorized MSC to extend its engineering studies contract with Grumman to further define such modified LM configurations. He also asked MSFC to try to increase the Saturn V's translunar injection capability to 46 720 kg. These actions, he explained, afforded an opportunity to pursue any of several alternatives once future landing levels were known.