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CEV Raytheon
Part of Orion CEV
CEV Raytheon
CEV Raytheon
Credit: © Mark Wade
American manned spacecraft. Study 2012. Raytheon's CEV was a low L/D capsule, designed for three crew, sized so that an existing EELV Heavy could send it towards L1.

Status: Study 2012. Gross mass: 7,132 kg (15,723 lb). Unfuelled mass: 4,282 kg (9,440 lb). Specific impulse: 320 s. Height: 6.50 m (21.30 ft). Diameter: 4.00 m (13.10 ft).

Total mass of the CEV would be 7132 kg, split between the Crew Module (CM) re-entry vehicle (3726 kg) and the PM propulsion module (556 kg empty, 3406 kg loaded with storable propellants and using existing, proven, reliable reaction control and OMS engines developed for the space shuttle. The CEV had sufficient propellants to maneuver into a halo orbit at the L1 staging point, and then brake from there to a re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. The CEV, together with supplemental payload, would be within the 9600 kg payload capability of a heavy-lift EELV (Delta IV) on a trans-L1 trajectory. For ISS resupply missions, this delta-V would not be required and could be traded off for payload. Raytheon advocated a three-member crew, to provide the minimum operational and safety margins, while otherwise minimizing cost.

Raytheon's analysis showed that the CEV mass had to kept under 9 metric tons to eliminate the need for rendezvous and docking operations in low earth orbit. The L1 staging area took care of this problem, allowing the CEV and other payload elements to be launched directly toward L1. Here a single, always available, dynamically stable area could be used for lunar spacecraft assembly and refueling operations. By comparison NASA's plans to use both earth-orbit and lunar-orbit rendezvous required complex operations with limited launch and rendezvous opportunities at two different areas.

Raytheon's lunar lander, and later lunar bases could be established using only existing EELV commercial vehicles. The only requirement would be man-rating an existing EELV. The L1 scenario would allow bases to be established anywhere on the lunar surface, and 14 sites of interest were identified. However Raytheon's preferred lunar exploration scenario was an initial base at the South Pole. Base elements would be covered with lunar regolith for thermal, meteoroid, and radiation shielding.

In addition to the CEV, Raytheon identified the following spacecraft as necessary for lunar exploration. They would be assembled at L1, refueled at first by propellant delivered from the earth, later by propellant mined from the moon.

Crew Size: 3. Habitable Volume: 15.00 m3. Spacecraft delta v: 1,600 m/s (5,200 ft/sec). Electric System: 2.50 kWh.



Family: Lunar Bases, Manned spacecraft, Moon. Country: USA. Propellants: N2O4/MMH. Agency: NASA, Raytheon.
Photo Gallery

CEV RaytheonCEV Raytheon
Credit: NASA



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