Throughout the project the cost and environmental impact of the tether system will be estimated. This, along with the performance of the system, will be compared with the current method of conventional rocket thrust propulsion (directly between Earth and Moon) and the findings discussed.
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Conceptual design solutions to problems facing a tether system, such as power supply, safety and infrastructural concerns, Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) and telecommunications, will also be explored.
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Finally, the mission architecture will be assessed to determine how sustainable the concept would be and if it would be realistically possible to implement such a system.
The project aims to construct a mission architecture for the bi-directional transportation of 1000 kg of freight between the Earth and the Moon utilising Motorised Momentum Exchange Tethers (MMETs). Current tether propulsion concepts and technologies will be explored. The use of rocketry and high altitude balloon technology to lift the freight from the surface of the Earth to the Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) will be examined for a feasible integration with the tether system. The freight will then be propelled from the LEO by a large Earth based tether (eMMET) to a tether situated in Lunar Orbit (lMMET). The freight will then be lowered to the lunar surface by way of a Lunavator concept.
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