Lunar space stations are under planning.

"The Gateway space station will be humanity’s first space station around the Moon as a vital component of the Artemis missions to return humans to the lunar surface for scientific discovery and chart the path for the first human missions to Mars. Astronauts on Gateway will be the first humans to call deep space home during missions where they will use Gateway to conduct science and prepare for lunar surface missions. Credit: NASA, Alberto Bertolin, Bradley Reynolds" (ScitechDaily, NASA and SpaceX Are Building the Most Advanced Space Station Ever – In Lunar Orbit)

NASA and Space X are planning a new space station orbiting the moon. This station would offer a good base for moon research and can also operate as a platform for lunar-orbiting operations. Those systems make it possible to test the modular- self-assembling structures. 

The lunar-orbiting space station can use things like space hooks to raise spacecraft from the moon. That decreases the need for fuel. Another way to make the moon operations cheaper is to use mass drivers. 

Mass-drivers are giant electromagnetic rails to launch capsules from the moon to Earth. 

All those capsules must not have the ability to transport a crew. The mass driver can also transport one or two person- capsules to the Earth. 

The journey to the moon station can happen in two stages. The first launch system transports crew to the Earth-orbiting space station. Or Earth orbiter. At the orbiter, the launch system separated. 

Then the moon transport stage docked to the shuttle. In the last case, there is no need for travel between those crafts. The operation on the moon is far easier than on Earth. The moon shuttle can be like a cylinder. 

Those self-assembling structures mean that the space station is made of modules that can dock together from remote control. That kind of system is a very good thing for many civil and military operations on the moon. The large telescopes on the moon can serve as scientific and intelligence instruments. 

Those telescopes see things like stars. And they also see military bases on Earth. Lunar orbiting- and lunar base large telescopes can serve both: civil and military purposes. Large space telescopes can operate at longer distances from Earth than traditional recon satellites. That protects them against land-based ASAT systems. 

The national interest of the lunar missions is the reason for the threat that somebody makes the missile base on the moon. During the Cold War era, the Soviet Luna-16 spacecraft was believed to be the test for nuclear weapon launch from the moon. The missile can be the rocket that landed on the Moon. Then the operators will launch it using the remote control. 

Then we think about things like Mars missions. 

Those missions require nuclear rockets. Nuclear rockets can be assembled at the Earth orbiter.  The system can be modular. The rocket's modules will be launched from Earth. 

Then system docks those modules together at the Earth orbiter. The AI-controlled systems can put those modules together. The only difficult thing is how to make the body that is long enough to keep the reactor as far from the crew as possible. The radioactive radiation from the reactor is dangerous.  

But otherwise, the simple shield between the reactor and crew module is enough. The nuclear-powered unmanned systems require radiation shields because that radiation damages computers and disturbs other instruments.  The main problem is nuclear rocket fuel. The lightweight reactors require very highly enriched nuclear fuel. 

The highly enriched plutonium or neptunium is dangerous. If there is some kind of accident. Highly radioactive materials will pollute large areas. It's possible to transport that Mars craft to the Moon's orbiter. Where the nuclear fuel can transfer to the reactor. The launch system can carry those nuclear elements to the Moon orbiter in very strong capsules. In small doses.  And if there are some problems debris falls to the Moon. 

https://scitechdaily.com/nasa-and-spacex-are-building-the-most-advanced-space-station-ever-in-lunar-orbit/

The Space X Starship can have a key role in future space projects.

Image 1:) Artist’s rendering of a SpaceX Starship leaving a lunar colony. Credit: SpaceX (ScitechDaily/Space Missions To Watch: A Lunar Return, a Jupiter Moon, and the Most Powerful Rocket Ever Built)

The Starship is a new type of large-scale vertical take-off and landing shuttle that can operate almost everywhere. That system can be the tool for the next space programs. When we are thinking possibility to send that craft to the Moon. There is the possibility that the Starship is connected with some other rocket. The Starship can launch to the orbiter and the auxiliary stage can dock to the back of Starship. By using that kind of modular system is the possibility to make journeys to the Moon or even to other planets. 

There is the possibility to connect the NERVA system or ion rocket stage at the back of the Starship. In the plans, the reactors that nuclear thermal propulsion requires. Would load at the Lunar orbiter. Those lightweight but extremely powerful reactors would use high-enriched plutonium or some synthetic elements like neptunium, californium, or einsteinium as nuclear fuel. Those reactors can use as the NERVA system. Or they can use in ion engines. 

The Starship can use also as a platform for the orbital weapon systems. Those systems require high-power laser systems. And those lasers and ion systems can install in large-scale space shuttles. Those kinds of lasers can use to destroy recon, location, or communication satellites. And the ion systems can also use to create plasma over the hostile communication centers. 

https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/historic-facilities/rockets-systems-area/7911-2/

https://scitechdaily.com/space-missions-to-watch-a-lunar-return-a-jupiter-moon-and-the-most-powerful-rocket-ever-built/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NERVA

By the way, the Ingenuity-helicopter still runs on Mars. 

Image 2) Ingenuity helicopter. (Space.com/1 year later, Ingenuity helicopter still going strong on Mars)

Those kinds of small helicopters are pathfinders in many ways. Those helicopters can search for water and interesting samples from large areas. And those systems can have multiple sensors like lasers and radars. Those systems can connect with spectrometers that are telling what kind of elements some areas involve.  

Also, the feet of those helicopters might have seismic sensors. So that kind of helicopter can operate with rovers. The thing is that the small helicopters can use advanced AI even they are small-size. 

The AI can be at the rover. Or there is the possibility that another planet would send the computer unit to assist those rovers and helicopters. Those small helicopters can use for simulating high-flying helicopters that can observe areas by using infrared cameras and small radars. Those helicopters are suitable to observe the strength of the ice. And they can search for pollution from water and air. 

The miniature helicopters can get their energy supply by laser rays. The laser or radio system that is targeted to their solar panels or radio receivers can give an energy supply for those systems. The small-size helicopter can land on the roof of the bunker. And then it can listen to things that people are talking about in it. It can aim laser or radar systems to windows for observing people. 

The system can use its seismic sensors to record noise through the wall. Or it can try to use radar. Or a sonar system for searching things that are inside the houses. 

https://www.space.com/nasa-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-one-year-anniversary

Image 2:) https://www.space.com/nasa-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-one-year-anniversary

https://thoughtsaboutsuperpositions.blogspot.com/

Space X's Falcon 9, the new way to make rockets

Falcon 9 first stage recycling test
(Picture I) 

http://crisisofdemocracticstates.blogspot.fi/p/space-xs-falcon-9-new-way-to-make.html

Kimmo Huosionmaa

Space X-corporations "Falcon" rocket is representing the new way to make rockets. The rocket itself doesn't need massive space centers, and it can operate anywhere, where finds hydrogen and oxygen. The rocket would lift off and land to any helicopter landing site, and the noise of this construction is, of course, the big problem. The normal vehicle, what can be used with this rocket seems to be the ship, where this new kind of shuttle would operate. In the pictures, this rocket operates from normal space centers, but when we are thinking the capacity of this vehicle, in the future it could operate from anywhere, there is no need to avoid the noise.

I know, why also Pentagon is very interested in this kind of rockets, what can use many times. That rocket would allow NRO (National Reconnaissance Office) to send their satellites anywhere from the Earth, and this kind of heavy rockets can also operate with modern miniature shuttles, what can be used as an anti-satellite, reconnaissance and other missions like giving service for satellites. The concept of Falcon would allow making new kind of Moon shuttles, what can travel between Moon and Earth, and bring samples of the dust also from the asteroid belt.


Also, this kind of concept could work as the base for Mars lander, what would bring samples from red planet to the Earth. Those Falcon rockets can also operate with huge airships, and in this scenario, the rocket would transfer to a very big distance from cities by using airship or big cargo-plane, and then it can be launched to the orbital trajectory. This is the very good point when we are thinking about the noise of space rockets.


This kind of concepts can operate from normal airfields, and they can be shoot to the orbiting trajectory far from the sea. When we are thinking about the innovation of this rocket, the engineers might be stolen the idea of this marvelous spacecraft from "Tintin" cartoon, where the main character flies to the moon by using functionally similar rocket than this "Falcon" is.

Sources:

http://www.spacex.com/news/2013/03/31/reusability-key-making-human-life-multi-planetary

http://www.spacex.com/falcon9

https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/28/15071288/spacex-launch-recycled-falcon-9-rocket-landing-schedule

https://www.space.com/40545-spacex-new-falcon-9-rocket-launch-landing-success.html?utm_source=notification


Picture I:

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZheH1geaomaziNDFpcKDzBY5kh0=/0x0:3000x2000/1200x800/filters:focal(1260x760:1740x1240)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53935213/25787998624_3ca213be1e_o.0.jpg

http://crisisofdemocracticstates.blogspot.fi/p/space-xs-falcon-9-new-way-to-make.html