Prospector arose as a result of President John F. Kennedy's desire to rehabilitate the tarnished image of US spaceflight. In 1961, NASA proposed a series of robotic probes, including Prospector, to be managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.[2]
Prospector was based on a study that had been performed by the Marshall Space Flight Center in June 1960, to determine what lunar missions could be achieved using the Saturn I rocket.
NASA envisioned Prospector as "a large versatile 'space truck'"[3] that could be launched by a Saturn rocket and that could soft-land on the Moon with a wide variety of payloads. Among the applications envisioned were:[3]
A remote-controlled lunar rover that could explore large areas of the lunar surface, including the far side of the Moon[2]
A system to obtain lunar samples and return them to Earth
A low-altitude survey of the lunar surface for reconnaissance, and to help select landing sites for subsequent Apollo missions, using large propellant tanks to allow the spacecraft to hover and laterally move over the lunar surface
An uncrewed cargo spacecraft, providing supplies and materials to lunar astronauts
Prospector was initially planned to have its first launch between 1963 and 1966.[4] However, as plans progressed, the project ran into weight overruns, requiring a larger launcher such as the Saturn V.[2] Its role also began to change from one of support for the Apollo missions to more of a substitute for them,[2] which NASA's Space Task Group did not endorse.[5] The project was canceled in 1962.[2]
^Fozzy, Paula (February 1962). "Lunar Program Underway". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 17 (2): 37–38. Bibcode:1962BuAtS..18b..37F. doi:10.1080/00963402.1962.11454321. ISSN 0096-3402.
^ abcdeUlivi, Paolo; Harland, David Michael (2004). Lunar exploration: human pioneers and robotic surveyors. Springer. pp. 39–40. ISBN9781852337469.
^ ab"Fifth Semiannual Report to Congress". May 28, 2962. NASA. p. 50. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
^"Weird Robots to Explore the Moon". Popular Science. March 1962. pp. 96, 97. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
^"The Apollo Spacecraft - A Chronology". NASA Special Publication-4009. NASA. Retrieved March 20, 2012. Volume 1, Part 2(c), citing Memorandum, H. Kurt Strass, Apollo Project Office, to Associate Director, STG, Conference at NASA Headquarters Concerning Relationship Between the Prospector and Apollo Programs, April 20, 1961, May 1, 1961.
External linksedit
at the Encyclopedia Astronautica
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prospector, spacecraft, confused, with, lunar, prospector, resource, prospector, rover, prospector, proposed, lunar, probe, that, intended, flown, support, apollo, lunar, missions, contents, history, also, references, external, linkshistory, editprospector, ar. Not to be confused with Lunar Prospector or Resource Prospector rover Prospector was a proposed lunar probe that was intended to be flown in support of the Apollo lunar missions 1 Contents 1 History 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksHistory editProspector arose as a result of President John F Kennedy s desire to rehabilitate the tarnished image of US spaceflight In 1961 NASA proposed a series of robotic probes including Prospector to be managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory 2 Prospector was based on a study that had been performed by the Marshall Space Flight Center in June 1960 to determine what lunar missions could be achieved using the Saturn I rocket NASA envisioned Prospector as a large versatile space truck 3 that could be launched by a Saturn rocket and that could soft land on the Moon with a wide variety of payloads Among the applications envisioned were 3 A remote controlled lunar rover that could explore large areas of the lunar surface including the far side of the Moon 2 A system to obtain lunar samples and return them to Earth A low altitude survey of the lunar surface for reconnaissance and to help select landing sites for subsequent Apollo missions using large propellant tanks to allow the spacecraft to hover and laterally move over the lunar surface An uncrewed cargo spacecraft providing supplies and materials to lunar astronauts Prospector was initially planned to have its first launch between 1963 and 1966 4 However as plans progressed the project ran into weight overruns requiring a larger launcher such as the Saturn V 2 Its role also began to change from one of support for the Apollo missions to more of a substitute for them 2 which NASA s Space Task Group did not endorse 5 The project was canceled in 1962 2 See also editLunar resources Luna Glob a current Russian lander program Lunar Prospector Resource Prospector rover Robotic exploration of the MoonReferences edit Fozzy Paula February 1962 Lunar Program Underway Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 17 2 37 38 Bibcode 1962BuAtS 18b 37F doi 10 1080 00963402 1962 11454321 ISSN 0096 3402 a b c d e Ulivi Paolo Harland David Michael 2004 Lunar exploration human pioneers and robotic surveyors Springer pp 39 40 ISBN 9781852337469 a b Fifth Semiannual Report to Congress May 28 2962 NASA p 50 Retrieved March 21 2012 Weird Robots to Explore the Moon Popular Science March 1962 pp 96 97 Retrieved March 21 2012 The Apollo Spacecraft A Chronology NASA Special Publication 4009 NASA Retrieved March 20 2012 Volume 1 Part 2 c citing Memorandum H Kurt Strass Apollo Project Office to Associate Director STG Conference at NASA Headquarters Concerning Relationship Between the Prospector and Apollo Programs April 20 1961 May 1 1961 External links editProspector at the Encyclopedia Astronautica nbsp This article about one or more spacecraft of the United States is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Prospector spacecraft amp oldid 1105856891, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
