Categories: Military / Defense

The Lunex Project, Air Force Lunar Landing Project, 1958-1961

Background

The Lunex Project was a US Air Force 1958 plan for a crewed lunar landing prior to the Apollo Program. The final lunar expedition plan in 1961 was for a 21-person underground Air Force base on the Moon by 1968 at a total cost of $7.5 billion. The primary distinction between the later Apollo missions and Lunex was the orbital rendezvous maneuver. The Lunex vehicle, composed of a landing module and a lifting body return/re-entry module, would land the entire vehicle and all astronauts on the surface, whereas the final Apollo mission involved a separate ascent module leaving the command module and service module connected in lunar orbit with a single astronaut. The original plan for Apollo was for direct ascent, similar to Lunex.

Document Archive

Lunar Expedition Plan, LUNEX, May 1961 [227 Pages, 9.5MB]

 

Continue scrolling for more...
Follow The Black Vault on Social Media:

This post was published on January 31, 2020 2:42 pm

John Greenewald

Recent Posts

FBI Files: Historical Figures & Groups

Background Welcome to the FBI Files on Historical Figures & Groups archive at The Black…

October 17, 2025

FBI Files: Civil Rights Era

Background Movements for civil rights were a worldwide series of political movements for equality before…

October 16, 2025

Russian Dossier on JFK Assassination Released to Public After Hand Delivery to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna

A 386-page dossier reportedly compiled by the Russian government detailing its findings on the assassination…

October 16, 2025

Thousands of Historical Artifacts Cataloged in Released NY Parks Databases

(Note: Photo graphic above is for illustrative purposes, and not a representation of actual holdings…

October 16, 2025

Unheard FBI Audio Reveals Art Bell Discussing Threats, Rumors, and Radio Rivalries

The FBI’s file on late-night radio host Art Bell has expanded with the release of…

October 6, 2025

“Looked Like Iron Man”: Tucson Pilot’s “Drone” Report and Audio Recording Revealed in FAA Records

On December 17, 2022, a Cessna 172 pilot approaching Tucson, Arizona, reported an unusual airborne…

October 2, 2025