Marina Program

Marina Program

Formation	19 July 1985
Headquarters	Helena Regent Space Center
Parent organisation	Meridon

The Marina Program, known also as Project Marina, was a Meridonian spaceflight program conducted by the Federal Spatial Advancement Administration which saw Meridon become the second country in Esvanovia after Anagonia to conduct a manned lunar landing, with the program spanning from 1985 to 2005. Developed following the Starshot Program which conducted much of Meridon's initial human spaceflight activities and the development of technology, Marina set many standards for both Meridonian and international long-term, beyond-Earth space exploration programs, including the upcoming new-generation exploration program being conducted by the FSAA.

The Marina program ran from 1985 to 2005, though much development work was done before its official unveiling as a formalized program in 1985. Its first launch was in 1987, with a crewed launch in 1988. The first Marina mission to conduct a crewed landing on the moon, Marina 6, occurred in 1991. A total of nine successive missions to land on the lunar surface were conducted, with all but one landing and returning without incident. Marina 7 suffered a catastrophic failure on the M-DLAV stage on the descent, but was able to return to Earth safely.

Utilizing Whiteflash launch vehicles, at their time one of the most powerful human-rated launch vehicles, a typical Marina mission was launched aboard a Whiteflash I stack from the Helena Regent Space Center in Helena Territory, and would splash down in the Marinan Ocean following the end of mission. Missions consisted of a Marina Crew Service Command Module (MCSCM) mated atop a Marina Transfer and Descent Stage (MTDS), collectively referred to as the Marina Direct Lunar Ascent Vehicle (DLAV or M-DLAV).

The Marina program had a profound impact scientifically, culturally, and geopolitically both in Meridon and abroad. It improved the prestige of Meridon and its space program both domestically and abroad, and 'kickstarted' a renewed interest in space exploration. Equipment from the Marina missions are still being utilized, although the last MCSCM was launched in 2011.

Vehicles and equipment

The Whiteflash I launch vehicle of Marina 10, at Helena Regent's Pad 4.

Marina program flights flew aboard Whiteflash launch vehicles, with orbital test flights being conducted in Whiteflash II vehicle and lunar exploration flights launching aboard Whiteflash I.

Whiteflash II is a two-stage expendable, medium lift, crew-rated launch vehicle designed specifically for the placement of the Marina Crew Service Module (MCSM) utilized during the Marina moon landing programs into low-earth orbit regime for rendezvous with low-earth orbital objects or low-endurance missions, however it is equally capable of launching payloads of 20 tons or less into low earth orbit, which may then proceed to other destinations on their own propulsion. Whiteflash II was designed to be a simple, low-cost solution for launches into low earth orbit and available for rapid launch into orbit as a contingency vehicle for the Marina program launches.

Whiteflash I, also known as Whiteflash Prime, is a two-stage expendable, superheavy lift, crew-rated launch vehicle designed for the express purpose of delivering the Marina Direct Lunar Ascent Module (M-DLAV) to effect manned lunar exploration. On two occasions- 1999 and 2011 respectively- it was utilized for the launch of low-earth orbital stations for visitation by Whiteflash II rockets. Whiteflash I was the heaviest launch vehicle to launch from Meridonian soil until the flight of the Pegasus variants, and remains among the human-rated launch vehicles of Esvanovia’s highest payload capacity holders. The M-DLAV was capable of transferring and landing on the Moon directly from low Earth orbit, with the Marina Crew Service Module (MCSM) acting as an ascent stage to return to Earth. At no point is docking or rendezvous necessary for a Whiteflash landing mission profile.

Both flew the common Marina Crew Service Command Module (MCSCM), which housed the three caelonauts for a duration of up to 600 hours of flight and maintained propulsion, life support, and communications systems. On lunar excursion missions, the MCSCM would be mated to the Marina Descent and Transfer Stage (MDTS), the assembly collectively referred to as the Marina Direct Lunar Ascent Vehicle (M-DLAV). The MDTS carried the M-DLAV from its low-earth parking orbit to transfer, enter orbit, and land on the lunar surface, with the MCSCM's propulsion being used for the ascent and return portions of the flight.

M-DLAV is arranged so that it can carry a 1-ton Lunar Excursion Rover (LER) underslung and immediately deployable upon landing, though this could be reconfigured to carry additional sensors or other such cargo. Marina missions only flew with LERs on the underslung mounts, but theoretically payloads of up to 5 tons (size restricted by clearance) were possible. Whiteflash I flew its last Marina lunar mission in 2005, with the vehicle's final launch being of the Tinaloto space station in 2011.

The M-DLAV and LER of Marina 6, landed.

Caelonauts

Overall, the Marina program produced 60 mission-rated caelonauts, with twenty individuals qualified for each position in the mission. A total of 36 individuals conducted flights, with 27 making landings on the lunar surface.

Missions

Summary of Marina Program flights

Mission name	Timeframe	Vehicles	Crew	Mission summary
Marina 1	1987	Whiteflash II	Unmanned	Test of the Marina Crew Service Command Module's systems on an unmanned flight trajectory, including reaction control, telemetry, life support, and heat shield. Completed human rating for the MCSCM.
Marina 2	1988	Whiteflash II MCSM Fourtin	CDR: Raul Pastor PILOT: Arcadio Cugno SSO: Alexis Gardet	First crewed launch of the program, with the three-man crew conducting a week-long orbital stay.
Marina 3	1988	Whiteflash II MCSM Alexandrie	CDR: Hudson Baines PILOT: Gabriel Bergen SSO: Mitchell Magrath	Booster fuel lines were compromised leading to rapid disintegration of the WFBC launch stage about 32 seconds after liftoff, necessitating the activation of the Contingency Launch Abort System. All three crew members survived.
Marina 4	1989	Whiteflash I MCSM Maria	CDR: Joseph Lowe PILOT: Noah Laguna SSO: Maxwell Stone	First launch of the Whiteflash I or Whiteflash Prime launch stack, with the MCSCM mated to a WFPBS-2 booster in place of the M-DLAV. Conducted 20 orbits of the moon before returning home.
Marina 5	1990	Whiteflash I MCSM Democracy	CDR: James Tauwell PILOT: Lachlan Jason SSO: Xavier Robillard	First launch of MCSCM mated with M-DLAV. Dry run of lunar landing, with landing gear, rover systems, and descent engines checked. Holds the record for the lowest orbital EVA in history, with CDR Tauwell flying as low as 5,000 feet from the lunar surface.
Marina 6	1991	Whiteflash I MCSM Loubret	CDR: Lewis Sudman PILOT: Matthew Altiers SSO: Valéry Laurent	First successful lunar landing, with approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes EVA time and 40lbs of samples recovered.
Marina 7	1992	Whiteflash I MCSM Galleon	CDR: George Danielson PILOT: Arcadio Cugno SSO: Ruben Colina	2 Engine on the MTDS failed during transfer burn and was returned to operational capacity before re-attempting the burn. Engine failed catastrophically less than three miles above the ground, when conducting the landing phase, necessitating an abort-to-orbit (ATO). Crew returned successfully to Earth.
Marina 8	1995	Whiteflash I MCSM Wedgetail	CDR: Michael Viele PILOT: Nathaniel Rigg SSO: Aidan Lachman	Conducted Marina 7's original mission profile, landing and observing the debris of the M-DLAV stage and recovering some of its debris for return to Earth. Total EVA time 5 hours and 45 minutes, with 100lbs of samples recovered.
Marina 9	1996	Whiteflash I MCSM Apex	CDR: Raul Pastor PILOT: Gabriel Clare SSO: Victor Boutet	Landed in the Mare Crisium. EVA time 7 hours and 3 minutes, 110lbs of samples recovered.
Marina 10	1997	Whiteflash I MCSM Penguin	CDR: Marcus Robertson PILOT: Austin Whitworth SSO: Luca Herrera	Landed on the Lunar south pole, confirming the presence of water on the Moon's surface, and specifically on the southern poles, in very large quantities. Total EVA time 10 hours and 14 minutes, with 82lbs of samples recovered.
Marina 11	1998	Whiteflash I MCSM Champion	CDR: James Tauwell PILOT: Rayan Contador SSO: Mitchell Magrath	First mission to land on the far side of the moon. EVA time 7 hours and 32 minutes, with 67lbs of samples recovered.
Marina 12	2000	Whiteflash I MCSM Willowtail	CDR: Tobia Falasca PILOT: Justin Lecerf SSO: Alexis Gardet	Landed in the Tycha Plains. EVA time 14 hours and 14 minutes, 134lbs of samples recovered. Anagonian astronaut Maj. Andrew Booth served as the program's only non-Meridonian crew member.
Marina 13	2001	Whiteflash I MCSM Korea	CDR: Jordan Thomson PILOT: Gabriel Clare SSO: Eruera Manuera	First mission to carry a Tangaran crewmember to the surface, Marina 13 landed in the Mare Moscoviense. EVA time 10 hours and 52 minutes with 97lbs of samples recovered.
Marina 14	2003	Whiteflash I MCSM Patria	CDR: Joseph Lowe PILOT: Amako Tapihana SSO: Saul Piedrabuena	Landed at the Hertzsprung crater. EVA time 16 hours and 24 minutes, 114lbs of samples recovered.
Marina 15	2005	Whiteflash I MCSM Kangaroo	CDR: George Danielson PILOT: Armando Conca SSO: Amy Marron	The only of the Marina missions to carry a female crewmember, Marina 15 conducted research on longer-term stays on the lunar surface to investigate long term habitation. 28 hours and 20 minutes of EVA time conducted, with 250lbs of samples returned.