How much cargo?
Martin said some studies completed regarding a return to the Moon mission would require launching 265,000 to 440,000 pounds (120 to 200 metric tons) just to get the project started. The goal would be to launch that weight in as few missions as possible hoping to minimize risk and cost — but there’s no easy answer. “We’re looking all across the board. And shuttle derivatives are a very important part of that because, quite frankly, the shuttle has quite a lot of up lift capability,” Martin said. The space shuttle as it is today is designed to carry up to 65,000 pounds (29,480 kilograms) to a low inclination, low Earth orbit. That number quickly shrinks when flying into the higher inclination orbit where the International Space Station circles the planet. By comparison, the most powerful version of the Atlas 5 is advertised as being able to lift 45,238 pounds (20,520 kilograms) to low Earth orbit. With the three remaining shuttle orbiters still around after the OSP begins operations, al
