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It's called the Crew Exploration Vehicle and everyone's getting into the act with proposals. Of course when Lockheed makes a proposal people listen.
Lockheeds proposal is for a modular system where in there is a human-only shuttle, an engine module (anything from a hybrid to a nuclear electric rocket) and between them a mission module.
My reading is that this could be as small as a SpaceHab or as large as one of Bigelows inflatable Nautilus habitats given it having enough core strength to handle the drive systems thrust.
It doesn't look like there's much in the way of configuration limits since the crew module and the others could be launched separately then assembled in space.
The CEV system could be used for high Earth orbit, lunar missions or whatever they provision for. Low Earth orbit missions could also be handled by this or another system like the one being worked on by t/Space.
Here we go with the crew module;
Possible system configurations;
After re-entry the crew module would come down using steerable parafoils. It could land either on land or sea, being equipped with air bags to soften the landing on land and provide floatation on water.
Lockheeds proposal is interesting in that a large portion of the Crew Modules tech could be based on the X-38 CRV (Crew Return Vehicle).
The CRV was an ISS emergency return vehicle that was drop-tested to landing a couple of years ago then cancelled for budget reasons under the previous NASA administration.
Dr. Mordrid
Lockheeds proposal is for a modular system where in there is a human-only shuttle, an engine module (anything from a hybrid to a nuclear electric rocket) and between them a mission module.
My reading is that this could be as small as a SpaceHab or as large as one of Bigelows inflatable Nautilus habitats given it having enough core strength to handle the drive systems thrust.
It doesn't look like there's much in the way of configuration limits since the crew module and the others could be launched separately then assembled in space.
The CEV system could be used for high Earth orbit, lunar missions or whatever they provision for. Low Earth orbit missions could also be handled by this or another system like the one being worked on by t/Space.
Here we go with the crew module;
Possible system configurations;
After re-entry the crew module would come down using steerable parafoils. It could land either on land or sea, being equipped with air bags to soften the landing on land and provide floatation on water.
Lockheeds proposal is interesting in that a large portion of the Crew Modules tech could be based on the X-38 CRV (Crew Return Vehicle).
The CRV was an ISS emergency return vehicle that was drop-tested to landing a couple of years ago then cancelled for budget reasons under the previous NASA administration.
Dr. Mordrid