Lunar Lander Ascent Module Configuration and Propulsion Studies

In 2008 the Boeing company conducted a six month design study for the NASA Johnson Space Center as part of the of the Altair Lunar lander concept desi gn effort. Information presented here is taken from Boeings final report presented to NASA in October 2008 in Houston to the Altair program office. This report contains a summary of one aspect of that stu dy; its objective is to present propulsion system t rade studies and configuration options for the Altair As cent Module. Vehicle subsystem concept design sought to maximize crew safety and vehicle reliability whi le staying within the mass and volume envelope provided by the Ares-V launch vehicle. Tradable ele ments in the Ascent module design included main engine location and number (single vs several, exte rnal vs embedded, bottom vs side placement); propellant type (hypergolic N2O4/MMH vs LO2/LCH4); Ascent crew cabin layout (horizontal or vertical cabin alignment) and several other items.