CLLARE Flight plan
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This page contains significantly outdated information. The hardware or plans it discusses may no longer resemble the description here, or may have been outright abandoned. Check the Core Project Documents for the relevant project to get authoritative information.
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[edit] Lift off
Lift off is achieved using a Modular Booster engine. At the end of lift off, the CSM vehicle should be in a low eccentricity (roughly circular) parking orbit around the Earth. This parking orbit will be aligned as closely as possible with the plane of the moon's rotation about the Earth. This means that all subsequent maneuvers can essentially take place in a two-dimensional coordinate system.
[edit] Trans Lunar Injection
The Trans Lunar Injection (TLI) maneuver is an engine burn which takes the CSM out of its low eccentricity parking orbit and into a highly eccentric orbit around the Earth, with a an apogee close to the radius of the moon's orbit about the Earth. After the TLI burn, the CSM will be on a "free return" trajectory. This means that if no further burns take place, the moon's gravity will swing the CSM around through a roughly 180 degree turn, putting it on a course headed back in the direction of Earth. This ensures that in the event of an emergency after TLI which leaves the CSM unable to undergo any further maneuvers, the astronaut still has a chance of being rescued.
[edit] Lunar Capture
Once the CSM is within range of the moon, a lunar capture burn will modify the CSM's velocity so that, rather than returning to Earth under the influence of the moon's gravity, the CSM will enter an elliptical orbit around the moon.
[edit] Lunar orbiting
During lunar lander descent and EVA, the CSM will remain in lunar orbit. The CSM will be unmanned for the entire duration of lunar EVA.
[edit] Trans Earth Injection
The Trans Earth Injection (TEI) maneuver is the "reverse" maneuver of the TLI. This engine burn will put the CSM on a trajectory which passes near the Earth.
[edit] Earth capture
Once the CSM is within range of Earth, an Earth capture burn will put it into a final orbit around the Earth.
[edit] Reentry
At an appropriate point during the CSM's final orbit around the Earth, an engine burn and separation of the CM from the SM will begin the CM's reentry into Earth's atmosphere.
