Lander advances to all-composite design
The Astrobotic lander has evolved to an all-composite design, with new locations to attach third-party payloads. The Payload Specifications document has been updated and can be downloaded here:
http://astrobotictechnology.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/astrobotic-pa...
The all-composite design achieves gains in stiffness and reductions in mass. The added stiffness raises the frequency at which it resonates, so that lower-frequency vibrations from the launch vehicle won't set up compounded shaking that would destroy the lander and rover. The mass required for the all-composite lander may be half that predicted for a metal or metal-composite hybrid. This savings is being booked as margin available to solve engineering issues, rather than as increased payload capability.
The lander will be constructed from just seven shapes, none of them larger than the walk-in oven the team is using to cure its composite parts.
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