Read Titans Space's Response to NASA's Moon to Mars Objectives RFI (Updated)
Neal Lachman
🇵🇸 | 🇺🇦 | CEO & Chief of Spacecraft Design | TitansSpace.com | Investor | Selene Mission | Crewed Mars Mission:2032 | Nuclear Propulsion | Normalizing Space Tourism | Spaceplanes | Space Stations
In 2022 and 2023, Titans Space Industries (TSI) responded to NASA’s Moon to Mars Strategy & Objectives Development RFI.
This document is an updated version with the inclusion of TSI's Selene Mission architecture.
This document concerns TSI’s near-term strategic outlines, which mainly involve spaceplanes, spaceships, LEO and Lunar space stations, lunar transporters, and a commercial lunar colony.
By building an end-to-end space transportation infrastructure, TSI eliminates the limitations of current space travel, including overcoming weight restrictions, allowing for more frequent launches and increased payload capacity – from essential supplies like food and water to critical cargo and oxygen.
TSI’s infrastructure enables the swift execution of plans and acceleration of a permanent settlement before a self-sufficient (in-situ) production infrastructure is established.
Building on the ambitious goals of NASA's Artemis program, TSI’s Selene Mission takes a giant leap forward. It aspires not only to frequently land humans on the Moon but also to forge a lasting and expanding lunar colony.
The Selene Mission:
✓ Leveraging NASA's incredible Apollo and Artemis missions
✓ Leaner, more budget-conscious solution
✓ Large-scale permanent settlement of the Moon
✓ Earlier and at a significantly lower cost
✓ Mostly funded by Titans Astronauts
In this document, we introduce our solutions and offerings while using the template as per the NASA Moon to Mars Mission objectives described in the Transportation and Habitation section of NASA’s Moon to Mars Strategy & Objectives Development document.
About Titans Space Industries (TSI)
----------- Titans Space’s response to NASA starts on the next page ------
Transportation and Habitation Goal: Develop and demonstrate an integrated system of systems to conduct a campaign of human missions to the Moon and Mars, living and working on the lunar and Martian surface, and a safe return to Earth.
TH1
TH-1: Develop cislunar systems that crew can routinely operate to lunar orbit and lunar surface for extended durations.
Notwithstanding ambitious developments such as SpaceX Starship, improvements in rocketry will remain limited for the foreseeable future, and as such, large-scale space travel, space exploration, and space commercialization would remain a near-impossible feat for humanity. Scientific and commercial missions will always remain constricted to the frequencies and efficiencies that rockets allow.
This is where TSI brings about a true paradigm shift.
Last year (2023), TSI finalized its two-year (design review) effort for a horizontal take off/horizontal landing (HTHL), single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) spaceplane (inspired by Rockwell’s Star-Raker) that enables ultra-frequent, ultra-safe, ultra-efficient, and ultra-low-cost transportation of humans and cargo to Low-Earth Orbit. Please, read this analysis to understand our view on the topic of rockets versus spaceplanes, and watch the Titans Spaceplanes video here, or the presentation here.
Since TSI finalized the spaceplanes and spacecraft Critical Design Reviews, the company has been finalizing plans for development and testing facilities at several facilities including at its own upcoming spaceport and another, renowned spaceport in the USA.
PLEASE NOTE: These are concept drawings and/or artist’s impressions and do not necessarily depict final designs.
Using spaceplanes and spaceships instead of rockets dramatically increases efficiencies and possibilities of large-scale space travel, space exploration, and space commercialization.
TSI also believes in the future of nuclear propulsion rocketry. Further information about this particular system will be shared in due time after signing relevant NDAs.
TH2
TH-2: Develop systems that can routinely deliver large surface elements to the lunar surface.
TH3
TH-3: Develop systems to allow crew to live and operate safely on the lunar surface and lunar orbit for extended periods of time with scalability to continuous presence to visit areas of interest for scientific research, conduct Mars analog activities, support industrial utilization, and conduct utilization activities.
TSI is committed to constructing a large colony on the Moon that will allow activities of all sorts. The entire TSI philosophy is developed around this premise.
We share the vision of pioneers like Dr. Gerard O’Neill that industrializing space will benefit humanity on- and off-planet. We believe that commercializing the Moon’s resources can benefit Earth and all its living creatures.
An Earth-to-Moon-and-Back journey would unfold as follows:
H4
TH-4: Develop a habitation system for crew in deep space for extended durations, enabling future missions to Mars.
TSI offers several options for habitation:
On the Lunar TOPSS (10-30 persons), at the Titania Lunar colony (large-scale), and inside the Lunar Transporter (for short stays).
TH5
TH-5: Develop a transportation system that crew can routinely operate from the Earth-moon vicinity to Mars orbit and Martian surface.
Titans Spaceships could possibly go to Mars and return without any need of Mars-based ISRU systems, and the Lunar Transporter can be modified for Martian circumstances.
TSI, however, has no established plans for Mars missions. While Titans Spaceships will be capable of long-duration missions, we will only develop the required systems for a mission to Mars upon guaranteed agreements.
H6
TH-6: Develop a transportation system that can deliver large surface elements from Earth to the Martian surface.
TSI’s space transportation systems infrastructure enables frequent transportation of humans and cargo to and from the Moon, and with some modifications, it would be able to do the same for Mars missions.
There would be no need for rocket launches to and from the Martian surface.
Virtually unlimited and quick supplies from Earth or Titania Lunar (of food, oxygen, liquids, water, materials, and machines) to Mars, and virtually unlimited transport of materials and metals to Mars from the LEO TOPSS and/or Lunar TOPSS, and vice versa.
H7
TH-7: Develop systems for crew to live, operate, and explore on the Martian surface to address key questions with respect to science and resources.
TSI has no plans for a Martian surface habitat. This may change when/if so agreed with third parties.
TH8
TH-8: Develop a system monitors crew health and performance and provides medical care to the crew during long communication delays to Earth and in an environment that does not allow emergency evacuation nor terrestrial medical assistance.
This will be developed with partner specialists, companies, agencies, and institutions.
TH9
TH-9: Develop integrated human and robotic systems with inter-relationships that enable maximum science return from the lunar surface and from lunar orbit.
This will be developed with partner specialists, companies, agencies, and institutions.
TH10
TH-10: Develop integrated human and robotic systems with inter-relationships that enable maximum science return from the Mars surface and from Mars orbit.
This will be developed with partner specialists, companies, agencies, and institutions.
TH11
TH-11: Develop systems capable of returning large cargo mass from the lunar surface to the Earth, including the capabilities necessary to meet scientific sample return objectives.
TSI’s space transportation systems infrastructure enables virtually unlimited transportation of humans and cargo to and from the Moon, this includes scientific missions and sample returns.
TH12
TH-12: Develop systems capable of returning large cargo mass from the Martian surface to the Earth, including the capabilities necessary to meet scientific sample return objectives.
See our answer to TH4-TH7.
Lunar and Mars Infrastructure
Lunar Infrastructure (LI) Goal: Create Global Lunar Utilization infrastructure where U.S. industry and international partners can maintain continuous robotic and human presence on the lunar surface for a robust lunar economy without NASA as the sole user, while accomplishing Mars testing and science objectives.
LI1
LI-1: Develop an incremental lunar power grid that is evolvable to support continuous human/robotic operation and is capable of scaling to global power utilization and industrial power levels.
The Lunar TOPSS and the Titania Lunar Colony allow the most efficient ways and locations to build large-scale power grids (ranging from solar to nuclear).
TSI emphasizes and focuses on the large-scale commercialization of the Moon. We are less interested in asteroid mining than Moon mining, and we will empower scientific research by partners, without getting involved in it ourselves too much. Also, see our answers to TH2 and TH3.
LI2
LI-2: Develop Lunar surface, orbital, & Lunar to Earth communications, position, navigation and timing architecture capable of scaling to support long term science, exploration, and industrial needs.
This will be developed with partner specialists, companies, agencies, and institutions.
LI3
LI-3: Demonstrate autonomous construction, precision landing, surface transportation, industrial scale ISRU and Advanced Manufacturing capabilities in support of future continuous human lunar presence and a robust lunar economy.
The entire TSI philosophy is developed around this premise. We share the vision of pioneers like Dr. Gerard O’Neill that industrializing space will benefit humanity on- and off-planet. We believe that commercializing the Moon’s assets can benefit Earth and all its living creatures.
LI4
LI-4: Demonstrate technologies supporting cislunar orbital/surface depots, construction and manufacturing maximizing the use of in-situ materials, and support systems needed for continuous human/robotic presence.
The activities at Titania Lunar Colony will include these technologies. We will partner with industry and institutions to research and develop these possibilities.
Also, see our answer to L13, above.
Mars Infrastructure (MI) Goal: Create essential infrastructure to support initial human Mars demonstration.
MI1
MI-1: Develop Mars Surface Power sufficient for the initial human Mars demonstration mission.
TSI has no plans for a Martian surface habitat. This may change when/if so agreed with third parties.
MI2
MI-2: Develop Mars surface, orbital, & Mars to Earth communications to support the initial human Mars demonstration mission.
See our answer to M1.
MI3
MI-3: Develop and demonstrate entry, descent, and landing (EDL) systems capable of delivering crew and large cargo to the Martian surface.
The most efficient, quickest, and safest EDL system is the Space Station and Transporter combination, which we have developed for TSI’s on Moon missions.
Operations
Operations Goal: Conduct human missions on the surface and around the Moon followed by missions to Mars. Using a gradual build-up approach, these missions will demonstrate technologies and operations to live and work on a planetary surface other than Earth, with a safe return to Earth at the completion of the missions.
OP1
OP-1: Conduct human research and technology demonstrations on the surface of the Earth, low Earth orbit platforms, cislunar platforms, and on the surface of the moon, to evaluate the effects of extended mission durations on system performance, reduce risk, and shorten the timeframe for system testing and readiness prior to the first human mission to Mars.
We will work with third parties to achieve this.
OP-2
OP-2: Optimize operations, training and interaction between crew, the support team on Earth, orbital support and a Martian surface team considering communication delays, autonomy level, and time required for an early return to the Earth.
We will work with third parties to achieve this.
OP3
OP-3: Characterize accessible lunar resources, gather scientific research data, and analyze potential reserves to satisfy science and technology objectives and enable ISRU on successive missions.
We will work with third parties to achieve this.
OP4
OP-4: Establish command, control and coordination and processes that will support expanding human missions at the Moon and Mars.
We will work with third parties to achieve this.
OP5
OP-5: Operate surface mobility systems using extra-vehicular activity (EVA), suits, tools and vehicles.
We will work with third parties to achieve this.
OP6
OP-6: Evaluate, understand, and mitigate the impacts on crew health and performance of a long deep space orbital mission, followed by partial gravity surface operations on the Moon.
We will work with third parties to achieve this.
OP7
OP-7: Validate readiness of systems and operations to support crew health and performance on the first human mission to Mars.
We will work with third parties to achieve this.
OP8
OP-8: Demonstrate the capability to find, service, upgrade, or utilize instruments and equipment from robotic landers or previous human missions on the surface of the Moon and Mars.
We will work with third parties to achieve this.
OP9
OP-9: Demonstrate the capability of integrated robotic systems to support and augment the work of crew members on the lunar surface, and in orbit around the Moon.
See our answers TH2-TH7.
We will work with third parties to achieve this.
OP10
OP-10: Demonstrate the capability to remotely operate robotic systems that are used to support crew members on the Lunar or Martian surface, from the Earth or from orbiting platforms.
See our answers TH2-TH7.
We will work with third parties to achieve this.
OP11
OP-11: Demonstrate the capability to use commodities produced from planetary surface or in-space resources to reduce the mass required to be transported from Earth.
Please see our answers above.
Science
Exploration Science (ES) Goal: Conduct science on the Moon and in cislunar space, using integrated human and robotic methods and advanced techniques, to address high priority U.S. scientific questions about the Moon and to demonstrate methods for future science by astronauts beyond the Earth-Moon system.
ES1
ES-1: Conduct human field geology on the surface and select high priority sample specimens for return to Earth.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
ES2
ES-2: Demonstrate advanced techniques and tools to enable Earth-based scientists to remotely guide astronaut surface activities.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
ES3
ES-3: Enable in-situ research by delivering science instruments to the lunar surface at various locations and returning high priority samples to Earth.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
ES4
ES-4: Survey sites, conduct in-situ measurements, and identify/stockpile samples for later astronaut evaluation or retrieval.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
ES5
ES-5: Demonstrate retrieval of frozen volatile deep core samples from permanently shadowed regions on the Moon.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
ES6
ES-6: Establish methods and systems to allow a large number of science instruments to conduct planetwide long-term measurements.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
ES7
ES-7: Establish a scientific laboratory at the lunar South Pole to conduct high value lunar surface science.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
ES8
ES-8: Utilize Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission results to optimize human-led science sampling campaigns on Mars, sample return to Earth and characterize landing sites.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
Lunar/Planetary Science (LPS) Goal: Address those high priority planetary science questions which are best accomplished by on-site human explorers on the Moon and Mars, aided by robotic systems.
LPS-1
LPS-1: Conduct studies of planetary processes (e.g., impact, volcanism, tectonism, regolith formation, and atmosphere dynamics) to understand the dynamics and chronology of planet evolution.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
LPS-2
LPS-2: Collect fundamental data to understand the origin, distribution, abundance, composition, transport, and sequestration of volatiles throughout the solar system.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
LPS-3
LPS-3: Conduct analyses to constrain the chronology and dynamics of early Solar System history, including planetary differentiation, early bombardment history, and the formation of the Earth-Moon system.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
LPS4
LPS-4: Collect samples over a long traverse/duration in the South Pole Aitken Basin and deliver the samples to astronauts for return to Earth.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
Heliophysics Science (HS) Goal: Address those high priority heliophysics science and space weather questions which are best accomplished using a combination of human explorers and robotic systems on the Moon and in cislunar space.
HS1
HS-1: Understand space weather phenomena to enable improved prediction of the dynamic space environment for deep space exploration.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
HS2
HS-2: Remotely observe the Sun and Geospace and conduct in-situ measurements in the deep magnetotail and pristine solar wind, to understand the dynamics of the connected Sun-Earth system.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
HS3
HS-3: Discover and characterize fundamental plasma processes including dust-plasma interactions, using the cis-lunar environment as a laboratory.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
Biological and Physics Science (BPS) Goal: Understand fundamental biological effects when organisms are present in fractional-gravity and deep-space environments, to gain new scientific understanding and information to guide system development.
BPS1
BPS-1: Understand the fundamental biological effects of short and long duration exposure to the lunar environment on human physiology and disease.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
BPS2
BPS-2: Understand the fundamental biological effects of short and long duration exposure to the lunar environment on plants used to provide crew nutrition/behavioral health.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
BPS3
BPS-3: Understand the fundamental biological effects of short and long duration exposure to the lunar environment on the survival and adaptation of microbes associated with the crew, plants, and the built environment.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
BPS4
BPS-4: Understand transient or permanent physiological changes on several generations of organisms.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
Astrophysics Science (AS) Goal: Preserve the far side of the Moon as a “radio-free zone” for future radio astronomy experiments.
AS1
AS-1: Monitor the radiofrequency environment on the lunar far side to enable future far side radioastronomy activities.
While TSI isn’t involved in the scientific realm, we will empower third parties to achieve this.
To download this document in PDF format, please click here.
Further recommended reading
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About Titans Space Industries
Titans Space Industries (TSI) is creating a streamlined Earth-to-lunar surface transport infrastructure with spaceplanes, space stations, spaceships, and dedicated lunar vehicles for landing and travel.
Titans Space intends to:
✓ Become the largest LEO and Lunar Space tourism company
✓ Become the largest Real Estate owner in Space and the Moon
✓ Become the largest Lunar commerce and mining company (from 2031 onwards)
TSI, a division of Titans Universe, comprises a vast portfolio of incredible, revolutionary space infrastructure that will allow safe and efficient end-to-end space transportation, including spaceplanes and space stations for space tourism, commercial, and industrial purposes, as well as for research, governments, and military usage.
Titans Space’s single-stage-to-orbit spaceplanes will facilitate orbital space flights for orbital cruises or going to Low-Earth Orbit, sub-orbital flights for zero-g space tourism flights, as well as ultra-fast point-to-point transportation for humans and cargo.
TSI's space tourism division is building the future of luxury space exploration with spaceplanes, spaceships, space stations, and lunar transport vehicles. TSI’s revolutionary LEO Space Station and Lunar Space Station will redefine humanity’s place amongst the stars, with lunar tourism, scientific research, and commercial mining applications, lunar factories, and lunar real estate.
About the Founding Team
TSI was founded by a group of 15 partners with a combined 450 years of business experience, representing investor interests in Titans Universe/TSI. They worked together on numerous projects for a combined 200+ years.
The founding team includes a 28-year-veteran space entrepreneur and satellite broadband pioneer, a PE fund manager who raised more than $6 billion in capital, a 40+ year rocketry and aerodynamics veteran, a 40+ year Space entrepreneur and activist, a Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball legend, a former Head of Business Development at Apple, a multi-billion-dollar business strategist, a former MD of KPMG NYC who advised on 100+ PE and M&A transactions, and the former CFO of a Formula One racing team and public listed companies.
Our Founding CEO, Neal S. Lachman is a serial entrepreneur with 35 years of investment, business, space, technology, and telecom experience. In 1992, he picked up the phone and started communicating with companies like PanAmSat. He has been a space entrepreneur since 1994/1995 when he and two of his brothers applied for and received three international digital satellite broadcast licenses.
Technology Consultant
8moAmbitious, but ultimately something like this is necessary if we are really to make strides in normalizing operations in Space.
CEO Apogee Power USA LLC. SDVOB
8moExcellent plan Neal. SF