Exploration opportunities enabled by the space launch system

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA) Space Launch System (SLS) Program, managed at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), is charged with delivering a new capability for human and scientific exploration beyond Earth orbit (BEO). The SLS may also provide backup crew and cargo services to the International Space Station, where astronauts have been training for long-duration voyages to destinations such as asteroids and Mars. For context, the SLS will be larger than the Saturn V, providing 10 percent more thrust at liftoff in its initial 70 metric ton (t) configuration and 20 percent more in its evolved 130-t configuration. The SLS Program knows that affordability is the key to sustainability. This paper will provide an overview of its operations strategy, which includes initiatives to reduce both development and fixed costs by using existing hardware and infrastructure assets to meet a first launch by 2017 within the projected budget. It also has a long-range plan to keep the budget flat using competitively selected advanced technologies that offer appropriate return on investment. To arrive at the launch vehicle concept, the SLS Program conducted internal engineering and business studies that have been externally validated by industry and reviewed by independent assessment panels. A series of design reference missions has informed the SLS operations concept, including launching the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) on an autonomous demonstration mission in a lunar flyby scenario in 2017, and the first flight of a crew on Orion for a lunar flyby in 2021. Additional concepts address the processing of very large payloads, using a series of modular fairings and adapters to flexibly configure the rocket for the mission. This paper will describe how the SLS, Orion, and Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) programs are working together to create streamlined, affordable operations for sustainable exploration for decades to come.

Science on the lunar surface facilitated by low latency telerobotics from a Lunar Orbital Platform - Gateway

The NASA Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 configuration is progressing toward a 2021 first flight, which will launch an uncrewed Orion capsule to the Moon. The SLS' Core Stage has finished its Green Run, full duration test at NASA Stennis Space Center. In this report, the SLS development status and its launch capabilities are discussed, and the new optimized Exploration Upper Stage, currently in development, which will optimize the SLS Core and Booster Stages, is presented. Ten Beyond Earth Orbit (BEO) missions, enabled or enhanced by the SLS, are also reviewed.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is directing efforts to build the Space Launch System (SLS), a heavy-lift rocket that will carry the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and other important payloads far beyond Earth orbit (BEO). Its evolvable architecture will allow NASA to begin with Moon fly-bys and then go on to transport humans or robots to distant places such as asteroids and Mars. Designed to simplify spacecraft complexity, the SLS rocket will provide improved mass margins and radiation mitigation, and reduced mission durations. These capabilities offer attractive advantages for ambitious missions such as a Mars sample return, by reducing infrastructure requirements, cost, and schedule. For example, if an evolved expendable launch vehicle (EELV) were used for a proposed mission to investigate the Saturn system, a complicated trajectory would be required - with several gravity-assist planetary fly-bys - to achieve the necessary outbound velocity. The SLS rocket, using significantly higher characteristic energy (C3) energies, can more quickly and effectively take the mission directly to its destination, reducing trip time and cost. As this paper will report, the SLS rocket will launch payloads of unprecedented mass and volume, such as “monolithic” telescopes and in-space infrastructure. Thanks to its ability to co-manifest large payloads, it also can accomplish complex missions in fewer launches. Future analyses will include reviews of alternate mission concepts and detailed evaluations of SLS figures of merit, helping the new rocket revolutionize science mission planning and design for years to come.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing new capabilities for human and scientific exploration beyond Earth's orbit. This effort includes the Space Shuttle derived Space Launch System (SLS), the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and the Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO). There are several requirements and Technical Performance Measures (TPMs) that have been levied by the Exploration Systems Development (ESD) upon the SLS, MPCV, and GSDO Programs including an integrated Launch Availability (LA) TPM. The LA TPM is used to drive into the SLS, Orion and GSDO designs a high confidence of successfully launching exploration missions that have narrow Earth departure windows. The LA TPM takes into consideration the reliability of the overall system (SLS, Orion and GSDO), natural environments, likelihood of a failure, and the time required to recover from an anomaly. A challenge with the LA TPM is the interrelationships between SLS, Orion, GSDO and the natural environments during launch countdown and launch delays that makes it impossible to develop an analytical solution for calculating the integrated launch probability. This paper provides an overview of how Discrete Event Simulation (DES) modeling was used to develop the LA TPM, how it was allocated down to the individual programs, and how the LA analysis is being used to inform and drive the SLS, Orion, and GSDO designs to ensure adequate launch availability for future human exploration.

Aerospace - Rocket. The Gallery. Nasa's Space Launch System

Recent exploration architectures are considering capability based approaches that use various propulsion technologies that need flight qualification. When human exploration missions come to fruition, rapidity of mission flight time and minimization of the number of flight elements will be important to reduce risk and cost. Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) is a technology that enables rapidity of transit and minimizes the number of spacecraft systems and launch vehicles to enable robust exploration. NTP has been proven scientifically and many engineering challenges have been addressed in past ground testing. The final validation and verification that still remains is to prove NTP in a flight demonstrator. Current efforts are focused on reducing demonstrator cost via application of proven liquid rocket components and fuel element design technology evolution. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has been working with NASA Glenn Research Center to conceptualize the reactor design requirements and propulsion system design relative to a small NTP with scalability to human exploration spacecraft systems. Studies performed in 2011 and continuing through 2012 have defined the reactor neutronics, thermodynamic cycle, and component mass for a small NTP and the scalability of the design for larger (e.g., 25,000lbf) propulsion systems. Part of these studies has shown this small NTP can be flight demonstrated using current Delta IV and Atlas V expendable launch vehicles and provide improved capability for robotic exploration missions. Nomenclature

As NASA focuses on Mars mission readiness, a crewed lunar lander concept may be timely, as there are both Mars exploration and lunar exploration motives for its development. A lunar lander can be used as a Mars lander technology demonstrator, including demonstrating technologies used in the final phase of Mars descent/landing, as well as technologies/techniques for habitation and ascent to orbit. Utilizing the cislunar Deep Space Gateway and Space Launch System (SLS) transportation capabilities, the addition of a lander would enable international and scientific communities to explore the lunar surface The Boeing lunar lander concept supports a crew of four on a two week (one lunar day) surface sortie and is extensible to longer duration missions with the addition of separately delivered surface assets such as a mobile habitat. The lander is optimized to take advantage of the cislunar Deep Space Gateway architecture; the lander elements are delivered using the SLS Block 2 cargo launch capability and the SLS Orion/cargo co-manifest capability. Overall mass of the ascent module was minimized by allocating habitation and crew surface access functions to the descent module. Recurring costs were reduced by designing a reusable ascent module. This paper will describe the lander design and operation concept, key trade studies and rationale for the selected options. Trade studies were conducted in areas such as spacecraft elements, engines, propellant, airlock, and life support subsystems. Analysis of the Deep Space Gateway orbit is discussed with respect to its compatibility with: a) surface landing operations, b) earth-to-orbit element/cargo delivery operations, and c) access to various lunar surface regions. The paper will show that use of the SLS, Orion and the Deep Space Gateway in support of a human lunar lander exploration architecture is feasible and practical and will explain how the design described can be extensible to future Mars lander designs.

Digital Beamforming has gained significant importance in radar applications in the past years. It helps improve radar performance while reducing mass and power. Improving these figures becomes even more important for space applications. The Space Exploration Synthetic Aperture Radar (SESAR) is a novel P-band (70 cm wavelength) radar instrument developed for planetary applications that will enable surface and near-subsurface measurements of Solar System planetary bodies. The radar will measure full polarimetry at meter-scale resolution, and perform beam steering through programmable digital beamforming architecture. The data obtained with SESAR will provide key information on buried ice and water signatures that can facilitate the design of future human and robotic exploration missions. In this paper we describe SESAR’s large antenna array, the sub-systems integration process, and the different environmental testing activities performed to the overall system in order to raise the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for its future inclusion in a space-proven system.

<p>The exploration missions to the red planet were started in 1960 by the Soviet Union, since then the planet has gain attention of all the scientists and explorers worldwide. Several exploration missions have been launched by the space organizations and nations to explore the Martian surface. NASA launched its first exploration mission to Mars in 1964 in the form of Mariner 3. After that, the series of robotic exploration missions have been launched to understand the red planet intensely. The Mars Exploration Program (MEP) was also formed in 1993 to explore the possibilities of the presence of life, climate and natural resources on Mars. The MEP uses the spacecraft, orbiters, landers and rovers to explore the Martian soil. As of present, NASA has launched twenty-five missions to the red planet out of which only five missions were unsuccessful. Some of the significant discoveries have been made in recent years with missions such as Pathfinder, Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, MAVEN and InSight. Currently, NASA is making plans to send more robotic explorers on the Martian soil in the upcoming years to make more discoveries and gain scientific information. These robotic missions are the first steps towards the human-crewed missions to Mars. The present paper provides a quick overview of NASA’s past, present and future robotic exploration missions to the red planet.</p>

During the summer of 2009, a flexible path scenario for human and robotic space exploration was developed that enables frequent, measured, and publicly notable human exploration of space beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO). The formulation of this scenario was in support of the Exploration Beyond LEO subcommittee of the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee that was commissioned by President Obama. Exploration mission sequences that allow humans to visit a wide number of inner solar system destinations were investigated. The scope of destinations included the Earth-Moon and Earth-Sun Lagrange points, near-Earth objects (NEOs), the Moon, and Mars and its moons. The missions examined assumed the use of Constellation Program elements along with existing launch vehicles and proposed augmentations. Additionally, robotic missions were envisioned as complements to human exploration through precursor missions, as crew emplaced scientific investigations, and as sample gathering assistants to the human crews. The focus of the flexible path approach was to gain ever-increasing operational experience through human exploration missions ranging from a few weeks to several years in duration, beginning in deep space beyond LEO and evolving to landings on the Moon and eventually Mars.

At the heart of the issue of reliable and dependable systems and networks, this paper presents the conception of a Decisional Information System for Security (D.I.S.S.) dedicated to the Human Space Exploration Mission. The objective is to conceive a decisional information system for human long duration space flight (> 1000 days) which is realised in entire autonomy in the solar system. This article describes the importance of the epistemological and ontological context for designing an open, self‐learning and reliable system able for self‐adapt in dangerous and unforeseen situations. We present in link with our research, the limits of the empirical analytical paradigm and several paths of research lead by the nascent paradigm of enaction. The strong presumption is that the centralised models of security could not be sufficient today to respond and challenge the security of a technical system, which will support human exploration missions.

Scientific exploration of the solar system has traditionally been the realm of large and expensive projects known as primary missions. These missions are usually costly, and they tend to have a long development cycle of massive spacecraft carrying scientific payloads. The maturation of mini- and micro-satellites over the past 40 years has allowed space science to be carried out in lower cost missions. In more recent years, the space community has started to consider using even nanosatellite platforms (such as CubeSats that are typically within a few tens of kilograms) for scientific endeavor in the solar system. Robotic exploration of the solar system using nanosatellites is attractive because of their lower cost, less stringent risk posture, and a shorter development schedule compared to traditional primary science missions. Therefore, it is beneficial to facilitate the development of nanosatellite technologies for deep space exploration by providing an opportunity for a largescale demonstration. Motivated by this, NASA is offering free space launch services on Space Launch System (SLS) to 13 deep space 6U CubeSats, as well as is providing the ground network support if the selected CubeSat missions ask for it. The CubeSats have been chosen competitively as secondary payloads on the SLS launch vehicle carrying the Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), which will be the first integrated flight test of NASA's Deep Space Exploration Systems including the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and the newly upgraded Exploration Ground Systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL, USA. The 13 EM-1 CubeSats are currently going through the final stages of integration and testing to be ready for launch in late 2020. To help showcase the potential impact of the EM-1 CubeSats, this Special Issue within IEEE AEROSPACE AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS MAGAZINE (AESM) is organized to present their science objectives, development story, the challenges faced, and lessons learned by the development teams to share with the community. The three Editors of the Special Issue (SI) would like to thank all the authors from the EM-1 CubeSat teams who managed to make our publication schedule, as well as authors from the EM-1 primary mission team and DSN team. The Editors would also like to thank AESM for offering the publication opportunities to this SI and allowing our SI to come in three parts due to a large volume of papers we have to include. The Part 1 of the SI consists of five papers that are briefly introduced.

This paper describes a demand access protocol for space communications, which is a messaging procedure that facilitates the exchange of resource requests and grants between users and service providers. A minimal set of operational and environmental needs and constraints are assumed since the intent is to keep the protocol flexible and efficient for a wide-range of envisioned NASA robotic and human exploration missions. The protocol described in this document defines the message format and procedures used to ensure proper and correct functioning of a demand access communications system, which must operate under customized resource management policies applied by the users and service providers. This protocol also assumes a minimal set of capabilities from the underlying communications system so that no unique requirements are imposed on the communications sub-systems.

NASA has completed a preliminary mission and systems study of nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) systems for “split‐sprint” human exploration and related robotic cargo missions to Mars. This paper describes the study, the mission architecture selected, the NEP system and technology development needs, proposed development schedules, and estimated development costs. Since current administration policy makers have delayed funding for key technology development activities that could make Mars exploration missions a reality in the near future, NASA will have time to evaluate various alternate mission options, and it appears prudent to ensure that Mars mission plans focus on astronaut and mission safety, while reducing costs to acceptable levels. The split‐sprint nuclear electric propulsion system offers trip times comparable to nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) systems, while providing mission abort opportunities that are not possible with “reference” mission architectures. Thus, NEP systems offer short transit times for the astronauts, reducing the exposure of the crew to intergalactic cosmic radiation. The high specific impulse of the NEP system, which leads to very low propellant requirements, results in significantly lower “initial mass in low earth orbit” (IMLEO). Launch vehicle packaging studies show that the NEP system can be launched, assembled, and deployed, with about one less 240‐metric‐ton heavy lift launch vehicle (HLLV) per mission opportunity ‐ a very large cost savings! Technology development cost of the nuclear reactor for an NEP system would be shared with the proposed nuclear surface power systems, since nuclear systems will be required to provide substantial electrical power on the surface of Mars. The NEP development project plan proposed includes evolutionary technology development for nuclear electric propulsion systems that expands upon SP‐100 (Space Power ‐ 100 kw) technology that has been developed for lunar and Mars surface nuclear power, and small NEP systems for interplanetary probes. System upgrades are expected to evolve that will result in even shorter trip times, improved payload capabilities, and enhanced safety and reliability. Non‐nuclear technology development for the NEP system is estimated to cost about $721 M (1993 $). Nuclear technology development costs are not included in the costs in this report, since these costs will be incurred in the nuclear surface power development program. NEP Phase A/B studies are estimated to cost about $154 M. Flight system hardware development (Phase C/D) is estimated to cost about $2.8 B, and fabrication of flight hardware is estimated to be about $7.8 B for four mission opportunities in 2009, 2011, 2014, and 2016.