One thing I’ve always wondered: let’s say we NEEDED to go to the moon right away, even if it meant taking a few safety shortcuts. Like, aliens landed there and demanded a face-to-face meeting before they destroy our planet and we don’t know how long they’ll wait for us (could be minutes, could be centuries, but who wants to find out?)… What’s the fastest we could, in theory, get there?
It depends, do you need to return your representative, or can we leave him on the moon? Latter is easier. Maybe he can hitchhike back with the aliens.
If it’s a one-way mission, it could be done with a Falcon heavy and a slapped-together lander sourced from NASA. Maybe even an old Gemini capsule or something from the Smithsonian.
Or you could send up a Falcon heavy with fuel payload, rendezvous with the ISS, pick up a 'naut, and steal a Soyuz, although I’m not sure if they can be configured to land on the moon
Just a civilian guess, but 2 or 3 Delta V or Falcon Heavy to put 1 payload into LEO with a command module and lander, then 1 booster with fuel. Short of using prototype lander, fabrication would take months at best. Then a Starship or SLS to get a crew, food, and water into orbit.
One thing I’ve always wondered: let’s say we NEEDED to go to the moon right away, even if it meant taking a few safety shortcuts. Like, aliens landed there and demanded a face-to-face meeting before they destroy our planet and we don’t know how long they’ll wait for us (could be minutes, could be centuries, but who wants to find out?)… What’s the fastest we could, in theory, get there?
It depends, do you need to return your representative, or can we leave him on the moon? Latter is easier. Maybe he can hitchhike back with the aliens.
If it’s a one-way mission, it could be done with a Falcon heavy and a slapped-together lander sourced from NASA. Maybe even an old Gemini capsule or something from the Smithsonian.
Or you could send up a Falcon heavy with fuel payload, rendezvous with the ISS, pick up a 'naut, and steal a Soyuz, although I’m not sure if they can be configured to land on the moon
Just a civilian guess, but 2 or 3 Delta V or Falcon Heavy to put 1 payload into LEO with a command module and lander, then 1 booster with fuel. Short of using prototype lander, fabrication would take months at best. Then a Starship or SLS to get a crew, food, and water into orbit.
Responding because I am also curious about this.