{"id":{"repo_id":"houston","oai_identifier":"oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/19514"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/houston/oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/19514","repository":{"repo_id":"houston","name":"University of Houston","base_url":"https://uh-ir.tdl.org/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Skyflower: A Reusable Tethered Lunar Landing System","abstract":"As part of the Artemis program’s broader objective to establish a long-term human and robotic presence on the Moon, NASA and its partners must overcome the significant challenge of delivering substantial payload mass to the lunar surface. While commercial partnerships under programs like CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) and HLS (Human Landing System) have made progress, these efforts primarily address small-scale payload delivery or crewed missions. The current state of the art lacks dedicated solutions for high-mass, uncrewed cargo delivery—a critical gap for enabling infrastructure deployment, in-situ resource utilization, and sustained lunar operations. This thesis investigates Skyflower, a conceptual reusable lunar landing system specifically designed to address this need. Skyflower reimagines the architecture of planetary cargo delivery by adapting the tethered offloading approach used in the Martian Skycrane. By deploying cargo from a hovering lander via tether, the system minimizes plume-surface interaction (PSI) and improves landing precision in complex terrain. The lander is designed for reusability and is integrated into a broader operational framework centered on the Lunar Gateway. This orbital hub supports payload handling, refueling, and maintenance, enabling Skyflower to function as part of a sustainable logistics network in cis-lunar space. Unlike conventional systems that prioritize surface-based infrastructure and one-way missions, Skyflower emphasizes orbital coordination, system longevity, and modularity. The research employs an iterative systems engineering (SE) approach modeled on NASA’s lifecycle processes, progressing from stakeholder needs to system architecture and subsystem-level definitions. Through multiple design iterations, this thesis advances the technical detail of the lander’s key subsystems, including propulsion, guidance and navigation, tether deployment, and payload handling. While the current design remains at a conceptual level, future work must focus on detailed computational simulations, environmental modeling, and physical testing to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the system. Ultimately, Skyflower represents a forward-looking approach to scalable lunar logistics, offering a path toward more efficient and reusable cargo transport solutions on the Moon.","abstract_html":"As part of the Artemis program’s broader objective to establish a long-term human and robotic presence on the Moon, NASA and its partners must overcome the significant challenge of delivering substantial payload mass to the lunar surface. While commercial partnerships under programs like CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) and HLS (Human Landing System) have made progress, these efforts primarily address small-scale payload delivery or crewed missions. The current state of the art lacks dedicated solutions for high-mass, uncrewed cargo delivery—a critical gap for enabling infrastructure deployment, in-situ resource utilization, and sustained lunar operations. This thesis investigates Skyflower, a conceptual reusable lunar landing system specifically designed to address this need. Skyflower reimagines the architecture of planetary cargo delivery by adapting the tethered offloading approach used in the Martian Skycrane. By deploying cargo from a hovering lander via tether, the system minimizes plume-surface interaction (PSI) and improves landing precision in complex terrain. The lander is designed for reusability and is integrated into a broader operational framework centered on the Lunar Gateway. This orbital hub supports payload handling, refueling, and maintenance, enabling Skyflower to function as part of a sustainable logistics network in cis-lunar space. Unlike conventional systems that prioritize surface-based infrastructure and one-way missions, Skyflower emphasizes orbital coordination, system longevity, and modularity. The research employs an iterative systems engineering (SE) approach modeled on NASA’s lifecycle processes, progressing from stakeholder needs to system architecture and subsystem-level definitions. Through multiple design iterations, this thesis advances the technical detail of the lander’s key subsystems, including propulsion, guidance and navigation, tether deployment, and payload handling. While the current design remains at a conceptual level, future work must focus on detailed computational simulations, environmental modeling, and physical testing to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the system. Ultimately, Skyflower represents a forward-looking approach to scalable lunar logistics, offering a path toward more efficient and reusable cargo transport solutions on the Moon.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Testi, Corrado 1989-"],"institution":"University of Houston","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Aerospace Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Bannova, Olga"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Bell, Larry","Toups, Larry"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-05","date_published":"2025-05","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:31:59Z","subjects":["Mechanical engineering","Aerospace engineering"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19514","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Bannova, Olga"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Bell, Larry","Toups, Larry"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Testi, Corrado 1989-"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-06-20T21:01:33Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-05"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Aerospace Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Houston"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Mechanical engineering","Aerospace engineering"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19514"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["As part of the Artemis program’s broader objective to establish a long-term human and robotic presence on the Moon, NASA and its partners must overcome the significant challenge of delivering substantial payload mass to the lunar surface. While commercial partnerships under programs like CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) and HLS (Human Landing System) have made progress, these efforts primarily address small-scale payload delivery or crewed missions. The current state of the art lacks dedicated solutions for high-mass, uncrewed cargo delivery—a critical gap for enabling infrastructure deployment, in-situ resource utilization, and sustained lunar operations. This thesis investigates Skyflower, a conceptual reusable lunar landing system specifically designed to address this need. Skyflower reimagines the architecture of planetary cargo delivery by adapting the tethered offloading approach used in the Martian Skycrane. By deploying cargo from a hovering lander via tether, the system minimizes plume-surface interaction (PSI) and improves landing precision in complex terrain. The lander is designed for reusability and is integrated into a broader operational framework centered on the Lunar Gateway. This orbital hub supports payload handling, refueling, and maintenance, enabling Skyflower to function as part of a sustainable logistics network in cis-lunar space. Unlike conventional systems that prioritize surface-based infrastructure and one-way missions, Skyflower emphasizes orbital coordination, system longevity, and modularity. The research employs an iterative systems engineering (SE) approach modeled on NASA’s lifecycle processes, progressing from stakeholder needs to system architecture and subsystem-level definitions. Through multiple design iterations, this thesis advances the technical detail of the lander’s key subsystems, including propulsion, guidance and navigation, tether deployment, and payload handling. While the current design remains at a conceptual level, future work must focus on detailed computational simulations, environmental modeling, and physical testing to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the system. Ultimately, Skyflower represents a forward-looking approach to scalable lunar logistics, offering a path toward more efficient and reusable cargo transport solutions on the Moon."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Skyflower: A Reusable Tethered Lunar Landing System"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Bannova, Olga"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Bell, Larry","Toups, Larry"],"dc:creator":["Testi, Corrado 1989-"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-06-20T21:01:33Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-05"],"dc:description.abstract":["As part of the Artemis program’s broader objective to establish a long-term human and robotic presence on the Moon, NASA and its partners must overcome the significant challenge of delivering substantial payload mass to the lunar surface. While commercial partnerships under programs like CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) and HLS (Human Landing System) have made progress, these efforts primarily address small-scale payload delivery or crewed missions. The current state of the art lacks dedicated solutions for high-mass, uncrewed cargo delivery—a critical gap for enabling infrastructure deployment, in-situ resource utilization, and sustained lunar operations. This thesis investigates Skyflower, a conceptual reusable lunar landing system specifically designed to address this need. Skyflower reimagines the architecture of planetary cargo delivery by adapting the tethered offloading approach used in the Martian Skycrane. By deploying cargo from a hovering lander via tether, the system minimizes plume-surface interaction (PSI) and improves landing precision in complex terrain. The lander is designed for reusability and is integrated into a broader operational framework centered on the Lunar Gateway. This orbital hub supports payload handling, refueling, and maintenance, enabling Skyflower to function as part of a sustainable logistics network in cis-lunar space. Unlike conventional systems that prioritize surface-based infrastructure and one-way missions, Skyflower emphasizes orbital coordination, system longevity, and modularity. The research employs an iterative systems engineering (SE) approach modeled on NASA’s lifecycle processes, progressing from stakeholder needs to system architecture and subsystem-level definitions. Through multiple design iterations, this thesis advances the technical detail of the lander’s key subsystems, including propulsion, guidance and navigation, tether deployment, and payload handling. While the current design remains at a conceptual level, future work must focus on detailed computational simulations, environmental modeling, and physical testing to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the system. Ultimately, Skyflower represents a forward-looking approach to scalable lunar logistics, offering a path toward more efficient and reusable cargo transport solutions on the Moon."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19514"],"dc:language.iso":["English"],"dc:subject":["Mechanical engineering","Aerospace engineering"],"dc:title":["Skyflower: A Reusable Tethered Lunar Landing System"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Aerospace Engineering"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Houston"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:31:59Z"}