RASC-AL

The goal of the lunar sample aggregation and return was to build a vehicle that travels between the deep space gateway (DSG) and a lunar site that collects the samples.

The group came up with a concept that requires two separate modules capable of landing on the site independently to complete a mission cycle. As shown in the figure, a booster stage sends the samples off the lunar surface, then a lighter, more maneuverable second stage separates from the booster to intercept the DSG. While the samples are being removed from the second stage, the booster module lands back at the site and refuels for the next mission. The second stage will then return on its own after refueling from the DSG. A robot arm on site is required to load the samples and reinstall the second stage back onto the booster.

The first 3D model was made based on the sketch. A simple model helps the team to understand the design better by providing more viewing angles and a tool that demonstrates the size and available space of the product.

The second model is then made with multiple entities. It is still simple, but the size of the parts could be easily resized to meet the standards or the calculated requirements. For example, the size of the top flange needs to be sized for a specific docking system, and the booster needs to contain the required fuel and battery pack. Those can be easily modified with the second model.