Maybe the SMART way to the moon?

[rogers_buck]

ESA's Smart 1 has finally arrived at the moon after several long months of slow but steady ion oropulsion thrust. This success brings to mind a variant of the Von Braun multi-launch approach for lunar exploration. The idea is obvious and I'm sure you have guessed where I'm going by now, but here it is anyway.<br /><br />Launch 1-2 years out from a manned mission habitat module. Then spaced over time launch Progress style supply modules. Each of these modules should be equipped with an Ion drive booster stage. No chimps onboard to starve to death or suffocate, so the long-long transit time will be no big deal at all.<br /><br />Two years later launch the crew in an Apollo style CEV with a composite LEM attached for a short 3 day jaunt to the moon. Upon arrival the LEM will seperate and several of the Astronauts will decend to the moon. If all else fails, flags and footprints. <br /><br />The CEV and the remaining crew will then dock with the previously orbited modules and do a check-out inspection. The CEV will then be robotically undocked and will be placed in a stable storage orbit. <br /><br />The LEM crew will be required to survey the area to locate a good landing site for the large habitat module. When they locate the site they will illuminate it with a laser and the habitat module will be brought down and landed by the two man crew.<br /><br />Every few months a cargo module will enter lunar orbit and will be similarly guided to a soft landing.<br /><br />At the end of the mission they will enter the LEM and blast to orbit. There they will dock with a new crew and fly that CEV back to earth. The CEV in cold storage should never be used again except as a last ditch emergency. It will ened to be a special CEV designed for long term storage, Or, maybe the CEVs will simply cycle like the Soyus on the ISS. Whatever.<br />