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Artists concept of a lunar cycler
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Artists concept of a lunar cycler
A lunar cycler has reached its furthest orbital point from the Earth, the apogee, and is rounding the far side of the Moon to begin its fall back toward Earth. At apogee the lunar cycler is about 300 thousand miles from the Earth and 50 thousand miles beyond the orbit of the Moon (further from Earth than any human has ventured yet). Based upon what may be technologically feasible within the next 75 years, this is a suggestion of what a lunar cycler might one day look like. This cycler would be 200 feet long (about the height of a 20-story building) and accommodate 12 passengers and crew. A 200 foot centrifuge bisects the cycler tower and provides artificial gravity for the wayfarers.
If frequent manned trips to the Moon become a reality, the earlier throw-away technologies of the Apollo lunar missions will be impractical for the long term. More efficient and reusable systems will need to be developed in order to minimize the labor and resources required for these extraordinary voyages.
A journey to the Moon can be broken down into three basic tasks: transfer between the Earths surface and Earth orbit, transfer between Earth orbit and lunar orbit, and transfer between lunar orbit and the Moons surface. While the simplest solution may be a single vehicle that could do all three, no technology today or in the foreseeable future can meet all these needs. One solution would be to dedicate separate vehicles for each of the three tasks. A reusable space shuttle would lift explorers off the Earths surface, a dedicated and reusable lunar shuttle would deliver explorers to the Moons surface and back, and in between there would be a kind of orbital way station. One such way station is known as an orbital cycler.
An orbital cycler is a vehicle thats in a permanent orbit around two celestial masses. In the case of a lunar cycler, the orbit would encompass both the Earth and the Moon. One lunar cycler proposal would place the cycler in a highly elliptical Earth/Moon orbit. The lunar cycler would complete an orbit every two weeks, and make a close approach to the Moon every other orbit. The cycler journey from the Earth to the Moon would take about a week
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This print showcases an artist's concept of a lunar cycler, providing us with a glimpse into the future of space travel. At its furthest orbital point from Earth, known as apogee, this lunar cycler is seen rounding the far side of the Moon before beginning its descent back towards our planet. Positioned approximately 300 thousand miles away from Earth and surpassing the Moon's orbit by 50 thousand miles, it ventures further than any human has ever ventured before. Envisioned to be around 200 feet long, equivalent to the height of a towering 20-story building, this lunar cycler can accommodate up to twelve passengers and crew members. A remarkable feature within this structure is a massive centrifuge measuring 200 feet in length that bisects the cycler tower. This centrifuge provides artificial gravity for those on board during their extraordinary journey. As we contemplate frequent manned trips to the Moon becoming a reality in years to come, it becomes clear that more efficient and reusable systems are necessary for sustainable exploration. The throw-away technologies employed during Apollo missions will no longer suffice for long-term endeavors. Instead, innovative solutions such as dedicated reusable shuttles for transferring between Earth's surface and orbit or between lunar orbit and the Moon's surface must be developed. One intriguing proposal involves utilizing an orbital cycler - a vehicle permanently orbiting both Earth and the Moon. In this particular scenario depicted in the image, an elliptical Earth/Moon orbit is chosen for optimal efficiency. Completing one full orbit every two weeks while making close approaches to the Moon every other cycle allows for expedited journeys taking approximately one week from Earth to our celestial neighbor. This thought-provoking image invites us to imagine what lies ahead in space exploration and inspires us with possibilities beyond our current technological capabilities.
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