Still there are those who argue that the SLS could

SLS launched ETLV-2 at EML1 liquid hydrogen and oxygen  fuel depot (ETLV derived) while the MPCV waits to dock with the now fully fueled lunar landing vehicle by Marcel F. Williams B efore the end of the decade , the heavy lift capability that America once had during the Apollo  era-- will return in the form of the SLS.  Some, however, have argued that because of the former Space Shuttle's ltc webwatch ability to deploy a 94 tonne aerospace plane plus up to 25 tonnes of useful cargo to LEO that , technically,  the Shuttle was also a  heavy lift vehicle. ltc webwatch But even the earliest versions of the Space Launch System will be  far more capable than the Space Shuttle in their ability to lift huge payloads into orbit. Unmanned versions of the  SLS should be capable of deploying at least  70 tonnes of payload to LEO.  And with an SLS derived upperstage, as much as 105 tonnes of cargo could be lifted to orbit. Even when deploying the 22 tonne MPCV (Multipurpose Crew Vehicle) , the SLS should still be capable of simultaneously  lifting an additional 45 to 80 tonnes of cargo to orbital space. SLS crew launch and cargo launch vehicles; with an upper stage, the SLS would be capable of deploying ltc webwatch nearly 39 tonnes of payload to Trans-Lunar Injection
Still there are those who argue that the SLS could  be deficient in its ability to deploy large crew landers and heavy cargo to the lunar surface-- relative to the now cancelled Ares V configurations. However, any deficiency in the lifting capability of the SLS could be easily compensated for by  deploying-- fuel depots-- at the Earth-Moon ltc webwatch Lagrange Points , or in low Lunar orbit , or both. This might suggest to some NASA critics that the space agency would have to spend substantially more of its limited funds in order to finance still another expensive component for  its beyond LEO architecture-- in addition ltc webwatch to funding the development of  lunar crew and cargo vehicles. 
LEO to TLI - 3.2 km/s dv LEO to LLO (~2 days) - 4.5 km/s dv LEO to LLO (~4 days) - 3.97 km/s dv LEO to EML1 (~2 days) - 4.41 km/s dv LEO to EML1 (~4 days) - 3.77 km/s dv EML1 to or from LLO (~2 days) - 0.75 km/s dv EML1 to or from  LLO (~3 days) - 0.64 km/s dv LLO to or from the Lunar surface - 1.87 to 2.1 km/s dv
However, if the next lunar landing vehicle developed ltc webwatch for NASA is a-- single stage reusable spacecraft-- then a Lagrange point  fuel depot and a lunar surface fuel  depot  could both be derived from the reusable lunar lander .  Such a reusable single staged lunar vehicle-- would already be inherently designed to refuel and store cryogenic fuels with zero boil-off. So deriving ltc webwatch the fuel depot directly from the tanks utilized for the lunar landing vehicle could significantly reduce development cost. Additionally,  the landing vehicle's reusability should also substantially  reduce its annual recurring cost for transporting humans to the lunar surface.  In an earlier post, I described ltc webwatch a reusable single staged lunar landing vehicle concept that  I called the ETLV-2 (Extraterrestrial Landing Vehicle ltc webwatch 2) . The vehicle would be designed to take  full advantage of a large  8.4 meter to 10 meter SLS payload fairing .   The ETLV-2 would utilize four CECE engines but just two common ltc webwatch bulkhead tanks ; each tank would be capable of storing up to 14 tonnes of liquid oxygen and hydrogen fuel . The tanks would utilize a ULA type of Integrated Vehicle Fluid (IVF) technology plus NASA's breakthrough  cryocooler technology to eliminate fuel boil-off and the waste of ullage ltc webwatch gases. Such technologies could substantially reduce tank insulation and the overall weight of the space vehicle.  Basic components of the ETLV-2 lunar landing vehicle The four RL-10 derived CECE (Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine) engines should enhance vehicle safety with engine out capability and reusability with up to 50 restarts capability.  Vehicle development cost are further reduced in this concept by deriving the crew habitat module and airlocks from the light weight cryotanks. The pressurized crew hab should be tall enough to accommodate a crew of at least seven individuals ltc webwatch , pressure suits, and small cargo on three floor levels. ltc webwatch Such a large crew capacity would  make the ETLV-2 potentially compatible with Commercial Crew launched vehicles since such privately operated vehicles should be capable of transporting as many as seven individuals   to Earth orbit per flight. The ETLV-2 would, of course,  also be capable accommodating the maximum crew of six aboard the MPCV .     The twin airlocks of the ETLV-2 would be utilized for giving humans access to the lunar surface through one airlock  while the second ltc webwatch airlock will allow small mobile robots and mobile vehicles access to the lunar surface on the opposite side of the vehicle.  As an unmanned vehicle , the