NEW ORIGINS 2: SPACEX MEV - 2

 

Readers will be familiar with the SpaceX MEV 2 toy, as featured here in Bill's back garden, which were in the shops circa 1969/70.

The consensus amongst SpaceX collectors is that the toy was most likely derived largely from Ed Valigursky's visualisation of the concept in the Man and Space book published in 1966.

 

 

However, as with most NASA concepts, a number of developmental stages were gone through along the way. Hawk-eyed reader Grif spotted this old sketch of a MEV 2 - like concept and a modern rendering and kindly sent them in for readers' interest.

 

Grif explains: "Dear Woodsy, I came across the attached on the "Secret Projects" forum - it's a lunar construction vehicle from the US Army's "Project Horizon" moonbase project, and it looks very much like it was the inspiration for the SpaceX MEV2 and a Project Sword moon vehicle (I forget the name!)! The link to the "Secret Projects" forum is here.

You may have to join the forum to see the images, but that forum will be fascinating for any SWORD fan!

 

Projects Horizon and LUNEX were variants, Army and Air Force respectively, of the old "He who controls the Moon controls the Earth" idea for atomic missile bases.

Merry Christmas,

Grif

 

PS. Readers who wish to see more developmental stages in MEV 2 type concepts should get hold of a copy of Reader Rob Godwin's excellent book "Lunar Exploration Scrapbook". Woodsy.