The Luna–Aegis Short Hopper is a reusable single-stage VTOL lunar shuttle designed for rapid transfer between Aegis Station in low lunar orbit and surface sites near the Moon's south pole. Operating on ISRU-compatible LOX/LH₂ propellants with a single gimbaled vacuum engine, it supports crew, cargo, and hybrid missions across a 1,500–2,000 km range — serving as the primary logistics backbone of the Aegis architecture.
| // PHYSICAL | |
| TOTAL HEIGHT | ~6.5 m |
| LANDING ZONE DIA. | ~4.5 m |
| GROSS WET MASS | ~8,000 kg |
| DRY MASS | ~5,250 kg |
| PROPELLANT MASS | ~2,750 kg (34.4% mass fraction) |
| // PROPULSION | |
| PROPELLANTS | LOX / LH₂ (ISRU-compatible) |
| ENGINE CONFIG | Single gimbaled vacuum engine |
| THRUST (VAC) | ~25–30 kN |
| ISP (VACUUM) | 430–450 s |
| T/W AT LIFTOFF (LUNAR) | ~1.9–2.3 (liftoff) → increasing as propellant burns |
| DESIGN ΔV | 1,800 m/s (incl. 10% margin) |
| MISSION ΔV RANGE | 1,600–1,700 m/s per one-way hop |
| ATTITUDE CONTROL | Engine gimbal (primary) + RCS thrusters (fine) |
| // PERFORMANCE | |
| SURFACE–SURFACE RANGE | 1,500–2,000 km one-way |
| SURFACE–LLO CAPABLE | Yes (with ISRU refuel at surface) |
| REUSABILITY | Min. 5–10 sorties; indefinite w/ proactive maintenance |
| TURNAROUND TIME | 24–48 hours (LUNET node support) |
| LANDING PRECISION | ±3 meters (nominal) |
| // CREW & CARGO | |
| CREW (STANDARD) | 4 astronauts |
| CREW (MAX / REDUCED RANGE) | 6 astronauts |
| CARGO CAPACITY | Up to 1,000 kg (cargo config) |
| OPERATIONAL DURATION | 72–96 hours (crewed) |
| // SYSTEMS | |
| AVIONICS | Dual-redundant radiation-hardened flight computers |
| NAVIGATION | FOG/RLG IMU + MEMS backup, Kalman fusion, lidar/radar alt. |
| LANDING GUIDANCE | Terrain-relative nav; LUNET beacon alignment compatible |
| COMMS | S-band/UHF (short range) + high-gain directional (station uplink) |
| POWER | Rechargeable battery packs + passive solar backup |
| LIFE SUPPORT | O₂/N₂ pressurized cabin; Orion-class LSS heritage |
| DOCKING INTERFACE | Aft/lower hatch; soft-seal pressurized collar |
Artemis puts boots on the surface. CLPS puts instruments on the ground. ISRU demonstration missions prove you can make propellant. What's missing is the vehicle that ties all of it together — a reusable, refuelable shuttle that can move crew and cargo between any two points on the Moon and back to orbit, on a schedule, without a new launch from Earth every time.
The Short Hopper is designed to fill that gap. It turns surface sites into connected nodes rather than isolated flags-and-footprints destinations. It converts ISRU propellant into operational reach. And it gives a lunar orbital station — Aegis or otherwise — a reason to exist as a logistics hub rather than an end unto itself.
A vehicle like this doesn't get built by one company. It requires the kind of sustained investment and technical depth that comes from NASA program involvement and major aerospace partners working toward a shared architecture. Aegis Station Infrastructure has done the design work to show it closes — the mass budgets, the propulsion trades, the ops concept, the interface definitions. That's the part we bring to the table.