Future missions under consideration requiring human habitation beyond the International Space Station (ISS) include deep space habitats in the lunar vicinity to support asteroid retrieval missions, human and robotic lunar missions, satellite servicing, and Mars vehicle servicing missions. Habitat designs are also under consideration for missions beyond the Earth-Moon system, including transfers to near-Earth asteroids and Mars orbital destinations. A variety of habitat layouts have been considered, including those derived from the existing ISS designs and those that could be fabricated from the Space Launch System (SLS) propellant tanks. This paper presents a comparison showing several options for asteroid, lunar, and Mars mission habitats using ISS derived and SLS derived modules and identifies some of the advantages and disadvantages inherent in each. Key findings indicate that the larger SLS diameter modules offer built-in compatibility with the launch vehicle, single launch capability without on-orbit assembly, improved radiation protection, lighter structures per unit volume, and sufficient volume to accommodate consumables for long duration missions without resupply. The information provided with the findings includes mass and volume comparison data that should be helpful to future exploration mission planning efforts.
Tbris paper examines the concept of placing a rover on the Moon as one of the first elements in the Prresident'p Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). The co:ncept, called Rover First, initially serves as a teleoperated explorer and test bed for hardware development. During subsequent manned visits the vehicle is used to provide astronauts with a shirtslepve environment and the radiation protectrion necessary for extended surface exploration. Iletween the piloted missions, the rover is controlled from Earth and continues to serve in a dual (teleoperated and piloted) mode throughout permanent base development. A method to implement an early, low-cost program based on proven systems is presented.
The distance between Orlando, FL and Miami, FL is 377 km (234 mi.). This is the approximate orbital altitude of the Russian Salyut and MIR space stations; Skylab and the existing International Space Station (ISS). With the exception of the Apollo missions, virtually all human space flight has occurred within the distance between Orlando and Miami. In other words, very close to the Earth. This is significant because NASA's goal is to explore Beyond low-Earth Orbit (BEO) and is building the Space Launch System (SLS) capable of sending humans to cis-lunar space, the surface of the Moon, asteroids and Mars. Unlike operations in low-earth orbit, astronauts on BEO missions do not have rapid emergency return or frequent resupply opportunities and are exposed to potentially lethal radiation. Apollo missions were by comparison short. The longest was 12.5 days compared to cis-lunar missions currently being sized for 60 and 180 days. For radiation, one of the largest solar particle events (SPE) on record (August 4-9, 1972) occurred between the Apollo 16 and 17 flights. This was fortunate because the magnitude of this SPE would likely have been fatal to astronauts in space suits or the thin-walled Lunar Excursion Module. A cislunar habitat located at one of the Earth-Moon Lagranian points (EM L2) is being studied. This paper presents an overview of the factors influencing the design and includes layout options for the habitat. Configurations include ISS-derived systems but there is an emphasis on SLS-derived versions using a propellant tank for the habitat pressure vessel.
Historically, less than 20 percent of crew time related to extravehicular activity (EVA) is spent on productive external work.1 A single-person spacecraft with 90 percent efficiency provides productive new capabilities for maintaining the International Space Station (ISS), exploring asteroids, and servicing telescopes or satellites. With suits, going outside to inspect, service or repair a spacecraft is time-consuming, requiring pre-breathe time, donning a fitted space suit, and pumping down an airlock. For ISS, this is between 12.5 and 16 hours for each EVA, not including translation and work-site set up. The work is physically demanding requiring a day of rest between EVAs and often results in suit-induced trauma with frequent injury to astronauts' fingers 2 . For maximum mobility, suits use a low pressure, pure oxygen atmosphere. This represents a fire hazard and requires pre-breathing to reduce the risk of decompression sickness (bends). With virtually no gravity, humans exploring asteroids cannot use legs for walking. The Manned Maneuvering Unit offers a propulsive alternative however it is no longer in NASA's flight inventory.FlexCraft is a single person spacecraft operating at the same cabin atmosphere as its host so there is no risk of the bends and no pre-breathing. This allows rapid, any-time access to space for repeated short or long EVAs by different astronauts. Integrated propulsion eliminates hand-over-hand translation or having another crew member operate the robotic arm. The one-size-fits-all FlexCraft interior eliminates the suit part inventory and crew time required to fit all astronauts. With a shirtsleeve cockpit, conventional displays and controls are used and because the work is not strenuous no rest days are required. Furthermore, there is no need for hand tools because manipulators are equipped with force multiplying endeffectors that can deliver the precise torque for the job.
The lunar surface habitat will serve as the astronauts' "home on the moon," providing a pressurized facility for all crew living functions and serving as the primary location for a number of crew work functions. Adequate volume is required for each of these functions in addition to that devoted to housing the habitat systems and crew consumables. The time constraints of the LAT-2 schedule precluded the Habitation Team from conducting a complete "bottoms-up" design of a lunar surface habitation system from which to derive true volumetric requirements. The objective of this analysis was to quickly derive an estimated total pressurized volume and pressurized net habitable volume per crewmember for a lunar surface habitat, using a principled, methodical approach in the absence of a detailed design. Five "heuristic methods" were used: historical spacecraft volumes, human/spacecraft integration standards and design guidance, Earth-based analogs, parametric "sizing" tools, and conceptual point designs. Estimates for total pressurized volume, total habitable volume, and volume per crewmember were derived using these methods. All method were found to provide some basis for volume estimates, but values were highly variable across a wide range, with no obvious convergence of values. Best current assumptions for required crew volume were provided as a range. Results of these analyses and future work are discussed.
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