The Artemis Program

The Artemis Program
Megaprojects

Finally some straight talk without a lot of fluff. He covers the main issues involved with getting to the moon, but promises more in a follow up video. It's been four weeks, Simon, where is it?

Not one word about how grossly expensive the SLS (Space Launch System) has proven to be, but that should be expected since it was designed and built by government employees and government defense contractors. In NASA's defense, they are working out there on the bleeding edge, trying things no one has done before and documenting them so that other people can make use of that information. As for Boeing (the prime SLS contractor), they're big and fat and happily ensconced in the government pack. I doubt they could move nimbly if their life depending on it. You get in with the pack and nothing is more important than keeping your fellow pack members happy. Sure, you show up for work and you do things, but coffee, donuts and chitchat are just as important, aren't they?

The bit about the construction of the Orion module was interesting. An aluminum-lithium alloy, stronger than titanium? I wonder if anyone else is using it for anything. Hit me Google.

The primary use for Aluminum-Lithium alloys is in aerospace, i.e. making parts for airplanes. It has been around since the 1920s although it didn't start being used in aircraft till the 1950s.

Getting to the moon is one thing. Getting down to the surface is another, especially with all the gear you are going to need to establish some kind of permanent base. SpaceX's Starship could very well get us there, but the Starship is 160 odd feet tall and the bottom 100 feet are all fuel tanks. When it lands, you've got to descend 100 feet to get to the surface. You could use a winch to move between the ship and ground. A high speed electric winch would make it quick, but it would still be a nuisance. What happens when you want to move something like a bulldozer, or a nuclear reactor? The Starship is a chunk, maybe a 100 tons sitting on the moon. You want to shove a ten ton reactor 20 feet out the door and lower it to the ground? You ever see those videos of giant cranes falling over when they try to pick up something too heavy? So we might need something like this:

Dynetic's HLS (Human Landing System) Concept