Image credit: Krafft Ehricke Papers / Space Global
Image source: NASM
Tag: Krafft Arnold Ehricke Papers
Man-Carrying Satellite
Found an interesting nugget here.
Convair Shuttlecraft at Astronautix
Image credit: Krafft Ehricke Papers / Convair
Image source: NASM
EMPIRE Hunting: Part 3
Let’s go back to Solar Transportation for a minute, because it helps to explain some of the images in the Ehricke Papers. Ehricke’s team detailed a Mars lander that looked a lot like early Apollo concepts, but the some of the folders contain images of a landing using what looks like Gemini hardware. The timeline doesn’t fit for EMPIRE, but I think this image captioned in Solar Transportation is a clue.
Mars Capture Mission in 1982. Orbit crew inspects the nuclear twin engine NERVA II system of the Earth Departure Module. Each engine delivers 250, 000 lbs. of thrust.
From Solar Transportation:
In 1982, a 69 day Mars capture mission launches. The crew conducts intensive reconnaissance both from orbit, and using probes – including landers and returners – but no manned surface excursions are planned. A mission launched between 1984 is one-way, involving a 529 day stay on Mars. A follow-on mission in 1985 (via Venus) retrieves the crew.
Reading back through the General Dynamics and Douglas UMPIRE reports, I think there’s enough connective tissue to make the argument that the paintings below are at least vicinal to EMPIRE / UMPIRE if not directly related, like kissing cousins. It doesn’t really matter though, because I’m not a real historian, and this isn’t a thesis.
Above: Gemini, on Mars or wherever. Below: Yup, that’s a Mars Lander.
From:
Artists’ concepts (Spacecraft) [1 of 6 folders]
Artists’ concepts (spacecraft) [4 of 6 folders]
Image credit: Krafft Ehricke Papers
Image source: NASM
Figure 2.
Unmanned probe approaching Pluto. Probe is powered by thermionic radioisotope power generator. The laser beams for surface illumination, with optical sensors slaved to the beams. Other equipment comprises radiation counters as well as field, plasma and particle sensors.
Image credit: Krafft Ehricke Papers
Image source: NASM
More Ted Brown? Yes please!
Shuttle Program at Astronautix
Image credit: Krafft Ehricke Papers / Rockwell International
Image source: NASM
Shuttle Doing Shuttle Stuff
Shuttle Program at Astronautix
Image credit: Krafft Ehricke Papers / Rockwell International
Image source: NASM
Colour Study (Artist Unknown)
Astropolis by R. Olds
Satellite Glider
Top: Ascent into Space
Bottom: Emergency Separation of Inhabited Nose
Convair Shuttlecraft at Astronautix
Image credit: Krafft Ehricke Papers / Convair
Image source: NASM
Figure 6.
Figure 7.
Earth-moon based planetary space port in 1988. Spacecraft are nuclear propelled interplanetary vehicles, launched by solid propellant lift-off rockets side-mounted around center section which, like the cylinders at the spacecraft’s center section, contain nuclear pulse units. In background a large antenna, belonging to the lunar deep space network is visible.
Image credit: Krafft Ehricke Papers
Image source: NASM
Selenopolis
Selenopolis, named after Selene, Goddess of the Moon, is a lunar city-state that could exist by 2029. With a population of about 100,000, it contains all the comforts of “home” (Earth) — plus many features that we don’t have in the terrestrial environment.
Selenopolis is a network of “Quonset hut” – shaped “half tunnel” sections stretching across the lunar surface and covering about 100 square miles. Each section is several miles long, with internal dimensions of 3200 feet across at floor level, and 1600 feet height to the center of a curved ceiling. The sections are joined at dome-shaped intersections. The entire complex is laid out for expansion.
On the inside, each section is separated from the other by a solid but transparent “curtain”, because each section of the habitat represents a different Earth-like climate and season. Selenopolis embodies urban, rural, agricultural, industrial and resort areas, and the “weather” inside is controlled and simulated accordingly. In other words, normal atmosphere conditions for Earth are maintained, and the regional climates of Earth are simulated.
Real sunlight illuminates the interior. A system of mirrors reflects it through the ceiling. Since a lunar day is 15 Earth-dats long, some of the mirrors are colored to provide the same time-changes and sky colors that we experience on Earth, from morning to night, and from season to season.
Public utilities (water, power etc.) are sub-surface. There is also a sub surface lake.
Image credit: Krafft Ehricke Papers / Space Global
Image source: NASM
numbers station 