Thread by @SpaceHaxx

"Orion on HLS" 🧵

So SLS is Artemis poison, Orion wilts on the vine, and Lunar Gateway is stupid. Sad!

But Starship CAN rescue the Artemis Show.

(@BellikOzan thought up all of this, BTW, but Sales English is my man's second language, so hi.)

Intent:
This is an implicit plea for guidance on HOW to market the below #OrionOnHLS scheme better.

(Look I get it. The obvious political path is to "play NASA" with SLS anyway, accomplish nothing, give up, become Argentina, and "watch China do it.")

But gotta TRY dammit.

2/

Notice that SLS may be cursed, but no one is dumping on Orion. Orion (& its launch-abort stuff, radios, ability to navigate, re-enter, land, etc.) has been the quiet bridesmaid through all of this.

And Orion DOES have fuel to get from LLO (low lunar orbit) back to Earth!

3/

Next, notice that HLS has never been pitched with a heat shield, fins, or a non-stupid way to return to earth orbit.

But it COULD perhaps auto-park itself in a moon crater and be a nice "ski lodge" out there.

So "re-used", yes, but with only a handful of Raptor burns ever.

4/

Notice that even Starlink is banking on Super Heavy booster catch-and-reuse...

...but the Starship's ability to re-enter and land isn't being taken as seriously yet. The StarBricks keep falling off!

(Starlink MIGHT even work out without orbiter re-use, BTW. Just saying.)

5/

So once Super Heavy + chopsticks works, any "Plan B Artemis" scheme, that did NOT rely on Starship re-use, would be "obviously doable".

Best? Cheaper? CheapEST? Let's argue later.

(And as a bonus, maybe leaving a "trailer park" of auto-parked HLS's on the moon too.)

6/

And finally, consider that a bunch of countries -- like Japan -- would be ticked off, at first, if the Lunar Gateway got scrubbed...

...but would probably cheer up again...

...if we brought one each of their guys to the moon!

***That's all they ever wanted anyway.***

7/

So here's the big idea, step-by-step, and it's just ridiculous (*) that no one else has been bringing this up.

8/

* (to my Dunning Kruger Bait mind)

Act 1:
An Orion capsule, with up to SEVEN real-deal INTERNATIONAL astronauts in it (not this "2 or 3" bullcrap), with it's "stock" launch-abort stuff, rides a suitably-adapted HLS up into space.

The people are inside the Orion, so it can launch-abort and let the HLS crash.

9/

Act 2:
In LEO, Orion hops off the HLS and deploys its solar panels, so the astronauts can "stand back" while the HLS re-fuels from waiting...
- expendable tankers?
- reusable tankers?
- fuel depot that's been pre-filled by same?

Whatever.

10/

Act 3:
Orion sits back down on the HLS.

The HLS uses its rocket engines to relocate itself -- with the crewed Orion riding on top -- to LLO (low lunar orbit).

Orion can jump off and "lifeboat" itself back to earth at any time through all this, if the HLS breaks.

11/

Act 4:
(Just like in Apollo...)

Mr. Orion pops off the HLS, does a 180, and this time docks with the HLS nose-to-nose.

The astronauts climb into the HLS.

Now empty, Mr. Orion pops off and waits patiently in LLO.

12/

Act 5:
HLS lands on the moon.

Everybody runs around, takes selfies and waves to their kids and parents on camera.

13/

Act 6:
Everybody climbs back into the HLS and returns to LLO.

HLS docks with the waiting empty Orion nose-to-nose, and everybody gets in the Orion and closes the door.

HLS is now empty.

14/

Act 7:
Orion pops off the empty HLS. Bye-bye HLS. It's been real.

Orion returns to earth.

15/

Extra Credit:
The now-empty HLS auto-lands itself back down onto the moon and waits for longer-term moon campers later.

Or maybe it stays in lunar orbit forever and serves as a "selfie hotel" for zillionaires. Fine whatever.

16/

So it's a bit of a story, but the essential "trades" here are:
- SLS: Dumped
- Lunar Gateway: Dumped
- Orion people: Get their money
- People on the moon: WAY MORE (a HUGE diplomatic / soft power Team America moment)

17/

And now we start arguing and constructively criticizing:

Which parts of this are stupid?
Which parts are awesome?
Is #OrionOnHLS a decent name for this idea?

How could this be better presented/marketed in order to reach the next "tier" of public consideration?

Thanks!

fin/

Appendix 1:
Orion is where the "brains" are (radios and navigation stuff).

So it makes sense to USE those brains here also, for the LEO->LLO trip, and demote the HLS down to "dumb mule" duty, via remote control.

fin+1/

Appendix 2:
The Orion's solar panels are quite wimpy and can't take much shaking or acceleration once deployed.

Oddly enough, the fueled HLS's mass allows the Orion to survive the LEO->LLO trip.

(Still arrives in LLO with lots of landing/launching fuel mass in the HLS.)

fin+2/

Appendix 3:
Since no ICPS, this scheme therefore uses no LH2.

Also, since the HLS isn't re-used over and over, that implies that it can maneuver and land (on the moon I mean) using "stock" Draco and SuperDraco stuff.

That could be really big deal schedule/effort-wise.

fin+3/

Appendix 4:
I neglected to mention explicitly that #OrionOnHLS doesn't involve an EUS or ICPS.

It wouldn't help anyway. The HLS needs to get all the way to the moon, and the Orion can get back to earth alone. So that "delta V hunk" in the middle has no job to do.

fin+4/

Appendix 5:

"HLS Classic": Can take months refueling in LEO

"Orion on HLS": Needs to refuel fast, because people are in space and breathing from minute 1

So, #OrionOnHLS can't wait for tankers. Either N tankers are LEO-parked & waiting, or 1 pre-filled fuel depot.

fin+5/