NASA Space Tug Design

RocketmanTan

RocketmanTan

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Mar 21, 2010
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I haven't done spacecraft in a while, so here goes. This is one of the more obscure concept spacecraft NASA came up with, which has since been more or less forgotten. Basically, it's a space tug which was designed to transfer cargoes between spacecraft. http://www.astronautix.com/craft/spacetug.htm

As it's a concept design which never went beyond conceptual slides and plates, I've added my own minor modifications in an attempt to make it look more modern. I based the propulsion block on the Aries spacecraft from 2001, and I've decked out the ship in livery of a company I made up, called Luna Industries. I've named the ship the "Pegasus" after a 1907 tugboat, whose crew are good friends with the crew of the ship I work on. (If you're ever in New York, I recommend visitng her if she's pulled up alongside us).

Have some pictures!

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Great stuff RocketMan. I really admire your ability to crank out great looking models so quickly and frequently.

Love the design and the subject. Luna industries was such a great name I couldn't resist googling it to see if there really was such a company. Turns out there is, in Tuscon, Arizona. They deal in starters and alternators and such, not spacecraft though. Funny.

Keep up the great work.
 
I am so very Happy to have been able to do something useful for you. Thank You! :)

A bit of information, the balloon like Pods are made by Bigelow/Boeing. Each are self contained. if one goes bad, it does not affect the other. They are launched deflated and inflated in space. I believe they are around 12" inches thick of different materials and meteors that would punch a hole into the I.S.S. bounce off of these like pebbles. The square section is docking hanger for a couple of space ships that will take off and cruise around, do their business and return. Really interesting stuff. He designed all of this with his own money, then around two years ago, Boeing asked if he would partner up with them, and Bigelow/Boeing was born! :)


This is the Bigelow large habitat structure for a space station, which theoretically could be flown (or tugged) and landed, then covered with regolith.
bigelowISSmodule.jpg


This is the Bigelow/Boeing moon Base proposale.
bigelow-moon-base-580x452.jpg


This is the Bigelow Space Motel.
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That's pretty interesting, Z. I wonder how far they will go with it.
 
Please, Rockettanman, forgive me for hijacking this thread, I won't post anymore in it.

Bigelow is the only person on Earth to have, as a private citizen, three satellites in space. He has three of these is orbit, and for $3000 dollars, your picture was loaded into a capsule, and you were given a website to go to to see a picture of yourself floating in space! This guys is doing what his own money what whoole governments can't do. Now, his habitats have made the I.S.S. obsolete, which is why it is planning to be ditched. There is no limit to the size a Bigelow station can be made, he has designed a revolving gravity ring and because it is flexible, it has a high elastomeric quality which allows it to be used as a space ship. It would be nice to take a hotel to the moon, then land. Something goes wrong, the service Bigelow Unit fixes it. It can stay at one of the various LaGrange points and provide a means for any country to traverse local space. This IS happening. He has already purchased 12 rockets from Russian for the next 10 modules. This is why Obama stated he wants private companies to build the space ships, and NASA will concenrate on the high tech engines that only a government entity should be, due to the dangers. We are talking plasma drive type engines and other types which have not yet been discussed.

The plan is to take these Bigelow modules to the moon, as each one is self contained, they will be covered with regolith to protect them from radiation and any possible meteor strikes, and connect them with under ground buried tubes for safe access.

Now that water has been discovered on the dark side, I could envision a colony of these on the edge of the dark side, cracking water with solar panels, producing Hydrogen and Oxygen for fuel, and oxygen for breathing. Carborn scrubbers would take out the CO2 and by adding oxygen, you end up with breathing air (Nitrogen,etc) , and the process just continues, powered by free energy. I've been following Bigelow for over 10 years. He is a genius. :)




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Interesting stuff. Thanks for the info, Zathros!

Could be a great separate thread: The BIGELOW-VERSE! :mrgreen:
With the modular concept, paper models could be made with mind-boggling intricacy. Only the imagination would be the limit.... :cool:
 
zathros said:
Please, Rockettanman, forgive me for hijacking this thread, I won't post anymore in it.

Bigelow is the only person on Earth to have, as a private citizen, three satellites in space. He has three of these is orbit, and for $3000 dollars, your picture was loaded into a capsule, and you were given a website to go to to see a picture of yourself floating in space! This guys is doing what his own money what whoole governments can't do. Now, his habitats have made the I.S.S. obsolete, which is why it is planning to be ditched. There is no limit to the size a Bigelow station can be made, he has designed a revolving gravity ring and because it is flexible, it has a high elastomeric quality which allows it to be used as a space ship. It would be nice to take a hotel to the moon, then land. Something goes wrong, the service Bigelow Unit fixes it. It can stay at one of the various LaGrange points and provide a means for any country to traverse local space. This IS happening. He has already purchased 12 rockets from Russian for the next 10 modules. This is why Obama stated he wants private companies to build the space ships, and NASA will concenrate on the high tech engines that only a government entity should be, due to the dangers. We are talking plasma drive type engines and other types which have not yet been discussed.

The plan is to take these Bigelow modules to the moon, as each one is self contained, they will be covered with regolith to protect them from radiation and any possible meteor strikes, and connect them with under ground buried tubes for safe access.

Now that water has been discovered on the dark side, I could envision a colony of these on the edge of the dark side, cracking water with peimar solar, producing Hydrogen and Oxygen for fuel, and oxygen for breathing. Carborn scrubbers would take out the CO2 and by adding oxygen, you end up with breathing air (Nitrogen,etc) , and the process just continues, powered by free energy. I've been following Bigelow for over 10 years. He is a genius. :)
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Top design.. Space technology is in right hands and we will surely have bright future
 
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