Home - Search - Browse - Alphabetic Index: 0- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9
A- B- C- D- E- F- G- H- I- J- K- L- M- N- O- P- Q- R- S- T- U- V- W- X- Y- Z
CEV Boeing
Part of Orion CEV
CEV Boeing
CEV Boeing
Credit: © Mark Wade
American manned spacecraft. Study 2012. Boeing's CEV consisted of a four-crew Apollo-type capsule, a service module, and a pressurized mission module.

Status: Study 2012. Gross mass: 20,000 kg (44,000 lb). Unfuelled mass: 10,500 kg (23,100 lb). Height: 10.50 m (34.40 ft). Diameter: 4.50 m (14.70 ft).

For single-launch earth orbit missions the mission module would be stowed beneath the CEV during launch, and docked to the CEV capsule using a transposition-and-dock maneuver after the spacecraft was put into earth orbit. For the lunar landing mission the mission module would be launched separately with the LSAM lunar lander and provide the lunar surface cabin. The CEV without the mission module would have a nominal total mass of 20 metric tons, with the Service Module having a mass fraction of 34.7% and burning liquid oxygen/methane propellants. Boeing, after numerous trade studies, found the L1 lunar scenario the best from every point of view - minimum delta-V, most applicability to later Mars exploration, and safest. Boeing's summary was devastating to NASA's preferred lunar orbit rendezvous concept, but did not seem to deter NASA from proceeding with that assumption for its project. Boeing's optimum moon mission was as follows:

Boeing studied 14 scenarios using L1 rendezvous, low-lunar orbit rendezvous, a combination low-lunar orbit rendezvous outbound/L1 rendezvous inbound, and direct launch from earth to the moon and back, with a variety of landed lunar surface payloads. They found that the lowest-cost-per-delivered mass and highest-capability alternative was the L1-rendezvous scenario with a 24 metric ton lunar surface payload. This would require assembly in low earth orbit of three EDS stages, the LSAM, and the CEV. Total mass in low earth orbit would be 197 metric tons, compared to 135 metric tons for Apollo. By comparison the most cost-effective other scenarios delivered only 18 metric tons to the lunar surface, and would cost 30% more, with total low-earth orbit mass being 175 metric tons for the best LOR scenario; 146 metric tons for the best LOR/L1R scenario; and 258 metric tons for the direct-landing scenario. Characteristics of the elements for the optimum L1 scenario were as follows:

Crew Size: 4. Spacecraft delta v: 1,600 m/s (5,200 ft/sec).



Family: Lunar Bases, Manned spacecraft, Moon. Country: USA. Agency: NASA, Boeing.
Photo Gallery

CEV BoeingCEV Boeing
Credit: Mark Wade



Back to top of page
Home - Search - Browse - Alphabetic Index: 0- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9
A- B- C- D- E- F- G- H- I- J- K- L- M- N- O- P- Q- R- S- T- U- V- W- X- Y- Z
© 1997-2019 Mark Wade - Contact
© / Conditions for Use