Lander Design

Exploded view of the Orbiter and Lander spacecraft

The Lander's tentative design is based on the LEDA design, incorporating:

• 4 propellant tanks (each 900 m in diameter, and 1400 mm high)

• 4 landing legs

• 1 fixed solar array panel (2.5 m²) + 1 deployable panel (2.0 m²)

• 1 radiator in 2 parts (0.8 + 0.6 m²)

• 1 MORO-like Orbiter (1400x1400x1400 mm³, mass 300 kg)

• 1 mini-rover (800x600x600 mm³)

• 3 micro- rovers (400x300x250 mm³), or other mobile devices, representative of the 'Millennium Challenge' payload.

The Lander's main structure comprises a 1194 mm-diameter interface to Ariane-4, of a cylinder sheltering the mini-rover, and a cone connecting to the 937 mm diameter Orbiter interface. A platform supports the electronic equipment. Struts and webs support the 4 tanks on their lower ring. The upper one is connected to the top of the main cylinder. Each leg is attached on top of the main cylinder at the Lander/Ariane-4 interface level. The 8 thrusters are fixed on the tank supporting webs or struts.

The radiator is supported by the tank webs and by an additional structure which also supports the heat pipes connecting the electronic equipment platform to the radiator. This radiator is tilted by 20° or more, in order for it to work even if the spacecraft were to be inclined after landing. The lower solar array is fixed to the tank supports. The deployable solar panel is mounted on top of the fixed one and is connected to a mast. Because of the reduced gravity on the Moon, it is not deemed necessary to correct the Lander's attitude before deploying the solar array mast.

The 1194 mm interface is an aluminium ring. The main cylinder has a 1100 mm diameter and is 1000 mm high. It is made of a 20 mm sandwich panel with aluminium skins or, alternatively, of corrugated aluminium. The cone, of the same material, is 500 mm high and supports a 937 mm diameter aluminium ring at its upper end, which constitutes the interface to the Orbiter. The electronic equipment platform is also made of a sandwich panel. A connecting ring links the cylinder, the cone and the electronic equipment platform. All struts are aluminium.

The Lander on the lunar surface, with solar array deployed