fut-lnr_v_bw_o_n (ca. 1963 Douglas Aircraft Co. photo no. SM 381667)
“A method of providing lunar explorers with “survival shelters” has recently been published by the Douglas Aircraft Company. Robot vehicles remotely controlled from Earth would be used to emplace the shelters. Drawing shows hover and landing rockets lowering the lunar housing unit toward a horizontal touch-down on the Moon.”
Upon landing, the nosecone of the shelter would open, allowing a remotely-controlled robot tractor, towing a nuclear power source, to emerge. The tractor would then proceed to cover the shelter, in ‘snow-blower’ fashion, with “lunar soil” to provide protection against meteoroids, radiation and temperature extremes. Again, the operation is envisaged as being controlled from Earth and monitored through television and telemetry.
The above is primarily a copy/paste, with minor paraphrasing of the content of a 1963 Douglas Aircraft Company article/press release, at the outstanding Aerospace Projects Review Blog, along with additional images & commentary, at:
www.aerospaceprojectsreview.com/blog/?p=1782
Finally, a group ‘photo’, with a large unidentified lunar lander to the left. Possibly for the delivery of additional cargo/supplies? And to the right, a Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), with the tractor dutifully continuing to cover the shelter. Unfortunately, the resolution of the ad doesn’t permit reading of the text, although my simpleton observations would seem to be at least indirectly supported by the ad’s title:
file.vintageadbrowser.com/0e6fgu4mv25qle.jpg
Credit: “VINTAGE AD BROWSER” website, which btw is wonderfully entertaining to look through.
More wonderful artwork by Ron Simpson!
fut-lnr_v_bw_o_n (ca. 1963 Douglas Aircraft Co. photo no. SM 381667)
“A method of providing lunar explorers with “survival shelters” has recently been published by the Douglas Aircraft Company. Robot vehicles remotely controlled from Earth would be used to emplace the shelters. Drawing shows hover and landing rockets lowering the lunar housing unit toward a horizontal touch-down on the Moon.”
Upon landing, the nosecone of the shelter would open, allowing a remotely-controlled robot tractor, towing a nuclear power source, to emerge. The tractor would then proceed to cover the shelter, in ‘snow-blower’ fashion, with “lunar soil” to provide protection against meteoroids, radiation and temperature extremes. Again, the operation is envisaged as being controlled from Earth and monitored through television and telemetry.
The above is primarily a copy/paste, with minor paraphrasing of the content of a 1963 Douglas Aircraft Company article/press release, at the outstanding Aerospace Projects Review Blog, along with additional images & commentary, at:
www.aerospaceprojectsreview.com/blog/?p=1782
Finally, a group ‘photo’, with a large unidentified lunar lander to the left. Possibly for the delivery of additional cargo/supplies? And to the right, a Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), with the tractor dutifully continuing to cover the shelter. Unfortunately, the resolution of the ad doesn’t permit reading of the text, although my simpleton observations would seem to be at least indirectly supported by the ad’s title:
file.vintageadbrowser.com/0e6fgu4mv25qle.jpg
Credit: “VINTAGE AD BROWSER” website, which btw is wonderfully entertaining to look through.
More wonderful artwork by Ron Simpson!