A methodology to support strategic decisions in future human space exploration: From scenario definition to building blocks assessment

Viscio, Maria Antonietta; Gargioli, Eugenio; Hoffman, Jeffrey A.; Maggiore, Paolo; Messidoro, Andrea; Viola, Nicole

doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2013.06.015

Cited by 18 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…This is proved by several research activities carried out by the major space agencies, industries and academies, which aim at the definition of opportune mission strategies, as well as at the assessment of the technologies needed to accomplish these types of missions [9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

Section: Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methodology for requirements definition of complex space missions and systems

et al. 2015

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Section: Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methodology for requirements definition of complex space missions and systems

et al. 2015

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“…As the manned mission was not clearly defined, previous roadmaps were approximate and not optimized with, for example, intermediate missions to the Moon or asteroids [29,30,31,32]. The proposed architecture is relatively simple in comparison with others, which usually require the development and qualification of new types of propulsion systems for the interplanetary flight and heavy, complex EDL systems, as well as long, complex assembly in Earth orbit.…”

Section: Roadmapmentioning

confidence: 99%

Robust, affordable, semi-direct Mars mission

Salotti

2016

Acta Astronautica

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A new architecture is proposed for the first manned Mars mission, based on current NASA developments (SLS and Orion), chemical propulsion for interplanetary transit, aerocapture for all vehicles, a split strategy, and a long stay on the surface. Two important choices make this architecture affordable and appropriate for the first mission. The first is splitting the Earth return vehicle into two parts that are launched separately and dock in Mars orbit. This is necessary to make aerocapture feasible and efficient, which considerably reduces mass. The second is reducing the crew to 3 astronauts. This simplifies the mission and reduces the SLS payload mass under the 45-metric ton limit for a direct TMI (trans-Mars injection) burn without LEO assembly. Only 4 SLS launches are required. The first takes the Mars ascent vehicle and in situ resource utilization systems to the planet's surface. The second takes the first part of the Earth return vehicle, the habitat, into Mars orbit. Two years later, two further SLS launches take a dual-use habitat (outbound trip and surface), Orion, and an enhanced service module to LEO, and then into Mars orbit, followed by the landing of the habitat on the surface. Transit time is demonstrated to be easily reduced to less than 6 months, with relatively low impact on propellant mass and none at all on the architecture.

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“…A mission to Mars is set as the final goal but the justifications of the intermediate missions are not clear. For instance, it is assumed that the qualification of a lunar ascent vehicle would be very useful for the qualification of a Mars ascent vehicle [10,25]. This assumption is not obvious.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is worth noting that other roadmaps proposed in the literature have the same drawbacks [7,25]. A mission to Mars is set as the final goal but the justifications of the intermediate missions are not clear.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%