/sci/ - Science & Math

All of this discussion of various colony components got me thinking of actually landing them so I sketched up a little cargo lander which would be little more than a cheap large plastic drum with a metal honeycomb internal skeleton and outer skin of a few layers of kevlar and insulation. Landing legs, RCS booms, and other structural metal components would all be made up of WE54 Allite (a magnesium alloy lighter and stronger than aluminum and cheaper than carbon fiber meme composites). The module is flown by a little propulsion tug which simply runs off of battery power and which only has the propellant needed to land the module safely (with sufficient margin for error if the landing sight has to be moved slightly or if course correction has to be made). The site is programmed into the tug before launch. The tug then disconnects from the cargo module and lands the mostly empty shell in some designated spot for recovery after which it could be disassembled for parts or refueled and reused, etc.

What parts work, what parts are retarded, how would you guys do it, etc?