LADEE: A Flight of Firsts (Part 1)

In the world of spaceflight, manned and unmanned alike, "firsts" are avoided whenever possible. "Firsts" are typically expensive, technically challenging, and inherently high-risk. NASA's upcoming LADEE (Lunar Atmosphere Dust Environment Explorer) mission will take part in several significant "firsts", which I'll be explaining over the next few days. We'll begin with the spacecraft itself.




The first flight of the Modular Common Spacecraft Bus
Every planetary science spacecraft before LADEE was a custom construction. Planners started with mission objectives and a budget, determined the scientific instruments needed to accomplish their objectives, and then designed the best structure within their budget that could accommodate those instruments. The Modular Common Spacecraft Bus is what it says it is. The MCSB is a system of component segments that can be mass produced to reduce cost and complexity. The spacecraft designers select the necessary modules for their specific mission and the spacecraft is then assembled in less time and with less cost than a uniquely engineered spacecraft. At least that's the concept. LADEE will be the first to put the concept into action.
   Personally, I think it's a brilliant plan because an outstanding amount of a mission's funding goes into the hardware that will take the instruments to their destination(s). If the MCSB lives up to its full potential, planetary science missions have a chance of being flown more frequently and with a greater scientific return per dollar. I'm not usually one to focus on the funding of missions but the general public hasn't typically seen planetary science as being as exciting as manned spaceflight and there tends to be less funding sent in that direction. Thankfully, in the past year the Curiosity rover has brought more focus on science and MCSB might be the key to getting the costs low enough to maintain that focus and support.

Tomorrow's Topic: The first launch of Orbital Sciences' Minotaur V rocket