Russia & India to send joint manned mission to Moon

Michael Petukhov wrote:

(Jack Linthicum) wrote in message . com...

(Michael Petukhov) wrote in message . com...

"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message ...

"Michael Petukhov" wrote in message
le.com...

http://lenta.ru/russia/2003/11/12/moon/

(in russian)

Today russia's agency for aviation and space research and india's
organization for space research signed a deal to prepare
joint automatic and manned missions to Moon by 2008.

Michael

But Michael you have bene telling us for years that such
a thing is impossible due to radiation in the Van Allen belts
and from Cosmic sources.

Keith, you know very well that I was telling that it was impossible
with US technologies used in 60s. Clearly still it will be very
difficult with modern technologies. Whole array of completely new
technologies will be required, including real protection against
radiation you have mentioned. At least we will try.



And, how, are the Soyuz, Zenit and Proton launchers doing, the newest
is the 20 year old Zenit with a 30,000 lb earth orbit capability. The
others are 46 (15,000 lb) and 38 years old (44,000 lb), respectively.
Doesn't sound like anything we didn't have back in 1969, but man-rated
in our case. http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/rsa/rockets.html



You seems conviniently forgot about "Energia". Although indeed
several good old Protons would be just enough to intergrate necessary
weight in LEO to fly safely to Moon.

Michael

You could also mention that the Russian boosters are much less likely to
blow up.

John