Project Endurance: Six 90-day Missions on the Lunar Surface

In the hopes of paving the way for a permanently inhabited moon base, a six-mission program was designed, with missions being flown yearly from 2013 to 2018. Each mission will consist of a “habitat module” and an “ascent/descent module.” These modules will be launched on a Delta IV rocket and a Space Shuttle, and will then connect with booster stages in LEO before finally reaching the moon. Throughout each mission, four crew members will explore the lunar surface in detail, conducting various scientific experiments over their 90-day stay, with the goal of expanding knowledge of the lunar environment. Missions will explore both the near and far sides of the moon, with communication satellites providing a link to far side missions. Introduction In the early 1900s, Antarctica was a vast and virtually unexplored region of the world. Sir Ernest Shackleton decided that he would be the first person to cross the barren continent, and so in 1914, he set sail on the ship Endurance. During his voyage, however, his ship became trapped in ice and was destroyed. Shackleton and his crew miraculously survived the long winter night on Elephant Island and a perilous open boat crossing of the Antarctic Ocean. Though Shackleton did not succeed in his endeavor, his brave voyage paved the way for future explorations of the continent. His story is the basis for Project Endurance. Just as Shackleton’s voyage opened the door for future Antarctic explorers, so did the Apollo program open the door for the detailed lunar exploration of Project Endurance. This series of six missions will pick up where the Apollo program left off, 40 years later, and hopefully lead the way for the first permanently inhabited moon base.