Implementing NASA’s Capability-Driven Approach: Insight into NASA’s Processes for Maturing Exploration Systems

Abstract

NASA is engaged in transforming human spaceflight. The Agency is shifting from an exploration-based program with human activities focused on low Earth orbit (LEO) and targeted robotic missions in deep space to a more sustainable and integrated pioneering approach. Through pioneering, NASA seeks to address national goals to develop the capacity for people to work, learn, operate, live, and thrive safely beyond the Earth for extended periods of time. However, pioneering space involves more than the daunting technical challenges of transportation, maintaining health, and enabling crew productivity for long durations in remote, hostile, and alien environments. This shift also requires a change in operating processes for NASA. The Agency can no longer afford to engineer systems for specific missions and destinations and instead must focus on common capabilities that enable a range of destinations and missions. NASA has codified a capability driven approach, which provides flexible guidance for the development and maturation of common capabilities necessary for human pioneers beyond LEO. This approach has been included in NASA policy and is captured in the Agency's strategic goals. It is currently being implemented across NASA's centers and programs. Throughout 2014, NASA engaged in an Agency-wide process to define and refine explorationrelated capabilities and associated gaps, focusing only on those that are critical for human exploration beyond LEO. NASA identified 12 common capabilities ranging from Environmental Control and Life Support Systems to Robotics, and established Agency-wide teams or working groups comprised of subject matter experts that are responsible for the maturation of these exploration capabilities. These teams, called the System Maturation Teams (SMTs) help formulate, guide and resolve performance gaps associated with the identified exploration capabilities. The SMTs are defining performance parameters and goals for each of the 12 capabilities, developing maturation plans and roadmaps for the identified performance gaps, specifying the interfaces between the various capabilities, and ensuring that the capabilities mature and integrate to enable future pioneering missions. By managing system development through the SMTs instead of traditional NASA programs and projects, the Agency is shifting from mission-driven development to a more flexible, capability-driven development.

Graphical Visualization of Human Exploration Capabilities

“…These teams, called the System Maturation Teams (SMTs) help formulate, guide and resolve performance gaps associated with the identified exploration capabilities. 2 Table 1 lists the SMTs, as well as the crosscutting discipline teams.…”

Multigenerational Independent Colony for Extraterrestrial Habitation, Autonomy, and Behavior health (MICEHAB): An investigation of a long duration, partial gravity, autonomous rodent colony

“…Autonomous mission operations require advanced capabilities to monitor displays, perform procedures, execute timelines, and mange faults with time delays greater than 10 seconds. 3 The defined MICEHAB autonomous functions performed with and without the maintenance robot are dependent upon these same advanced capabilities that are required to enable human missions to Mars, but with delays of less than two seconds. Designing and testing these systems in the lunar vicinity is an important step forward in advancing autonomous capabilities.…”

“…Robotic mission operations require advanced capabilities in the areas of manipulation, human-robotic interactions, sensing and perception, and autonomous rendezvous and docking. 3 Dexterous manipulation and sample acquisition and handling require advancements within the area of manipulation. The MICEHAB Robonaut/Valkyrie type hand mounted on the maintenance robot will be more advanced than the current Robonaut 2 SOA hand and will test dexterous manipulation, and the medical robot will test sample acquisition and handling.…”

“…2 The EMC architecture is used to identify critical technologies and capabilities that need to be developed and tested during the Proving Ground in order to enable human exploration missions and eventually settlement of Mars. 3,4 Autonomous and robotic systems capabilities are required to operate long duration habitation systems and to perform medical care for crew, integrated vehicle health management, spacecraft maintenance, and logistics management for surface missions, as well as in deep space. These capabilities are beyond the current state-of-the-art and are presently being analyzed within the EMC architecture.…”

“…Humans may encounter reproductive challenges in gravity environments different than Earth's, as gravitational forces may actively shape genomes in ways that are inheritable. 3 The challenges associated with partial gravity, multigenerational human reproduction and spacecraft autonomy need be investigated prior to making investments in surface architecture efforts. Permanent surface settlements may be infeasible if partial gravity reproduction challenges are too great to overcome, leading to alternative strategies that focus on orbiting planetary facilities that simulate gravity more representative of Earth.…”