This is a rendering of a vehicle that consists of 48 spheres each 1 meter in diameter attached to an 8.5 meter diameter aeroshell made of aerogel. Each of these spheres contain a smaller 61.5 centimeter diameter sphere. The smaller sphere contains 138.8 kg of liquid oxygen. The larger sphere contains 28.7 kg of liquid hydrogen in the space between. They are connected by a header that pumps the two liquified gases to the outer sphere!s outer surface. On the surface are an array of MEMS based micro fuel cells and MEMS based rocket arrays along with miniaturized avionics, sensors, interconnection hardware, cross-feed umbilicals along with power and data networking. All the hardware have a total mass of 7.45 kg. The propellant mass totals 167.55 kg producing a total system mass per sphere of 175.00 kg.

This system is designed for one astronaut wearing a long-duration spacesuit. This design is based upon the work of Paul Webb and Dava Newman. Instead of filling the suit with air, the suit is an elastic leotard. This makes if far less complex, less costly, and lighter. Combined with MEMS based fuel cells, Sabatier reactors and other microscopic life support systems, the entire suit and life support is 32 kg. The astronaut may mass up to 93 kg. A total of 125 kg payload.

Mechanical Counter Pressure Suithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Lift Off

First Stage

Second Stage

Second Stage

Third Stage

Third Stage

Fourth Stage

The traveller sitting at the center of a 48 of these spheres, each of which have their own propulsion system, and with interconnection of propellant, are fired using the propellant of other spheres

which allows a multi-element flight system to be built made of many common elements that are made in-espensively.

To fly to the moon and back along a direct ascent trajectory requires that the payload be carried through a change in speed (delta vee) of 16 km/sec.

Using MEMS based hydrogen/oxygen engines with an exhaust speed of 4.5 km/sec we have a total propellant fraction of

" "u = 1 - 1/exp(Vf/Ve) = 1 - 1/exp(16/4.5) = 0.97143

Which leaves less than 4.26% of the total mass. " So, we break it up into five stages - dividing 16 km/sec by 5 we obtain 3.2 km/sec

" "u = 50.9% "propellant

With 4.26% structure this leaves 44.84% payload. " That is each stage of 2.23x larger than the previous stage.

Since the payload is 125 kg + 16.8 kg of boil off over 10 days = 141.8 kg

" "141.8 " " " "Payload " "316.2 " " " "Earth Return " "705.2 " " " "Lunar Landing 1,572.5 Lunar Injection 3,506.7 Booster 7,819.9 Lift off

0.6 - Consumed on Trip. 1.2 - Earth Return "2.2 - Lunar Landing - Fourth Stage " 6 - Lunar Injection - Third Stage 12 - Second Stage 26 - Lift Off

48 - Total