LLV

American lunar logistics spacecraft. Study 1966. Many versions of new Lunar Logistic Vehicles (LLV's) using several possible candidate propellants were studied by NASA and its contractors in the mid-1960's for post-Apollo lunar base support.

By the time budget cutbacks ended such thoughts, NASA was favoring a two-stage version powered by throttleable RL10 engines burning liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen propellants.

Limiting the propellant candidates to those being used in active NASA programs (earth storables of the N204/Aerozine 50 and cryogens of the L0X/LH2 type), the choice revolved about a tradeoff between 33% better Isp performance, poorer length to diameter configurations, and more extensive ground support requirements of LOX/LH 2 compared to N204/Aerozine 50. However, the performance increase did provide significantly larger payload capabilities, and accordingly, the cryogenic combination was chosen by NASA for the new LLV's. In addition to the conventional one stage configurations, two stage versions were also of interest. A typical two stage LLV consisted of a braking stage (LI) and a landing stage (LII). The advantages of staging were (i) payload improvement, (2) the landed vehicle had a lower center-of-gravity (reducing possible cargo unloading problems and landing gear requirements), and (3) the braking stage (LI) could be a general use propulsion stage for integration into earth orbital or planetary programs (Multi-Mission Module Concept).