Where the Gryphon carries crew at 4G human-rated acceleration, Manna carries cargo at 2.5G – 108G. That gap unlocks dramatically higher rail exit velocities, smaller propellant fractions, and cost-per-kg numbers that make sustained lunar operations economically viable. Three variants cover every cargo class. Four more are in design.
Each variant is tuned to a single constraint: the G-tolerance of its cargo. The pod design follows from the physics — not the other way around.
Bulk consumables, propellant, metals — 4G rail, 78% payload, no isolation
The workhorse. Manna-H accepts the rail's full 4G external G-load directly into the cargo bay — no internal isolation, no active components. The 78% payload fraction and $54/kg lunar cost (mature ops, fleet-scale) make it the economic backbone of the BGKPJR supply chain. Fleet-scale operations assume ~70% of all Manna launches are Manna-H.
Monocoque CFRP shell with aluminum honeycomb bulkheads. No isolation layer. Cargo secured with foam-in-place HDPE and steel webbing. Nose cone: 30 kg PICA-X ablator shed on atmospheric transit.
Electronics, instruments, spares — passive isolation cushions 4G rail to 2.5G payload
Manna-I threads the needle for electronics. The 4G external / 2.5G payload capability is achieved through a passive shock-mount isolation system: tuned-damping titanium struts isolate the inner cargo cradle from the rail's 4G impulse and the second-stage burn. Electronics rated for 5G structural margin survive cleanly with ~50% margin to spare.
Outer CFRP monocoque rated to 4G. Inner aluminum payload cradle mounted on 12× titanium isolator struts with tuned damping (5 Hz natural frequency). Gap filled with closed-cell foam. Payload locking pins release at apogee for Tug catch.
Seedlings, biologics, microbiomes — double-cushioned to 1.2G payload, full life support
Manna-B uses double-stage isolation: an outer Manna-I-class isolation frame plus an inner liquid-suspension capsule that decouples payload from all structural vibrations. Active thermal control maintains any temperature between -20 °C and +37 °C throughout the 3.2-day lunar transit. The high cost per kg is justified only by cargo with no alternative — living systems that must arrive alive.
Outer structure same as Manna-I. Inner capsule: 304 stainless pressure vessel with fluoropolymer liner. Payload suspended in temperature-controlled liquid suspension medium. Hermetic seals rated to 5 bar. Sterile fill and seal in ISO Class 5 cleanroom.
These four variants are in active design trade study. Each addresses a gap in the operational variant lineup — more propellant, more sterility, more science access, or more surface capability. Open questions are documented; answers will drive design convergence.
The Tug's sustainability depends on affordable propellant in orbit. Manna-F is a single-purpose propellant pod — maximum tank volume, minimum everything else. At 88% payload fraction and $12/kg to LEO (Manna-H cost basis), it enables Tug economics that make lunar transit viable at scale. Long-term: replaced by ISRU-sourced lunar water boosted up by lunar-surface MAV.
| Payload fraction | 88% |
| G-tolerance | 4 G (canonical rail, no isolation needed) |
| Propellants | LH₂/LOX (Tug primary) or MMH/NTO (storables, TBD) |
| Tank config | Cylindrical pressure vessel, foam-insulated |
| Exit velocity | 1,700 m/s (canonical 37 km rail) |
| Status | Propellant selection trade ongoing |
A sustained lunar crew beyond 30 days needs surgical capability, blood products, and sterile pharmaceuticals. Manna-B carries biologics but cannot guarantee ISO Class 5 sterility. Manna-M extends the inner capsule to a full pharmaceutical cleanroom standard — Class 100 equivalent, verified by particle counters before seal.
| Payload fraction | ~22% |
| Internal G-load | 1.5 G (Manna-B-class isolation) |
| Sterility class | ISO Class 5 / USP Class 100 |
| Temp control | 2 °C – 8 °C (blood/pharma) or custom |
| Sterile fill | ISO 7 cleanroom fill + terminal seal |
| Status | Cleanroom interface definition in progress |
University teams and research groups can't afford dedicated launch. Manna-X is the answer: a standardized 19-inch rack payload bus where the only interface document is a 1-page ICD. Power, data, thermal, and structural interfaces are all standard. Research cadence goes from years to months.
| Payload fraction | ~40% |
| Internal G-load | 3 G (light passive isolation) |
| Rack standard | 19-inch EIA-310 compatible |
| Power | 200 W regulated (28 V DC) |
| Data | 100BaseT Ethernet to ground until LEO |
| Slot count | 4U per launch (shared or dedicated) |
You can't bootstrap a lunar base if every piece of infrastructure costs $1M/kg to deliver. Manna-T is purpose-built for flat-packed deployables. With the canonical 4G rail (vs. the old 100G hardened spec), Manna-T can carry sensitive deployables that previously required Manna-I-class isolation. Empty pods become regolith-filled radiation-proof base structures (Phase 4 'Space LEGO' concept).
| Payload fraction | ~55% |
| Outer diameter | 2.4 m (widened rail required) |
| Internal G-load | 4 G (canonical, no isolation) |
| Landing mode | Tug-delivered + airbag hard-landing dual-mode |
| Payload config | NATO 463L pallet footprint (2.24 × 2.74 m folded) |
| End-of-life | Regolith-filled radiation-proof base structure |
| Status | Widened rail architecture trade ongoing |
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ MANNA SUPPLY CHAIN │ │ │ │ [BGKPJR Rail]──→ Manna pod exits @ Mach 3.5 – 22.9 │ │ ↓ │ │ Ballistic coast to apogee (65 – 120 min depending on variant) │ │ ↓ │ │ [Tug — equatorial LEO @ 400 km] compliant net catch at <2 m/s │ │ ↓ │ │ TLI burn (+3.15 km/s posigrade, ~8 min) → 3.2-day transit │ │ ↓ │ │ [Lunar Gateway / surface landing site] │ │ │ │ Tug returns to LEO under solar-pressure assist — re-arms for next catch│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Manna-H can optionally execute airbag hard-landing on lunar surface (no Tug). All other variants require Tug catch — the isolation systems are not designed for unassisted impact. Tug sustainability is therefore mission-critical, which is why Manna-F (propellant tanker) is the highest-priority WIP development.
Steady-state operations assume 50 Manna launches/year: ~35 Manna-H, ~10 Manna-I, ~3 Manna-B, ~2 Manna-F. At this cadence the $800/kg Phase 1 target is achievable. The $200/kg mature target requires 200 launches/year — driven by Tug refueling economics and rail amortization.
Manna does not carry crew — that is Gryphon's role. Manna does not perform orbital insertion — that is the Tug's role. Manna does not return to Earth — empty pods are either deorbited destructively, repurposed as lunar surface structure, or returned via Tug only when economics demand it.