Project Ares: A Systems Engineering and Operations Architecture for the Exploration of Mars

Abstract

Efll mflll ¶gQ j Form Approved REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE OMB No. 0704-0188Public re ... rt d ourden tor thtt Kollectiln of information ,s estimate• to iveraqe i hu r per •e:orse tncrludi nr the time for reviewing instructions. searrnltg ex $sting data sources, gathering and -m a ntrnq the data needed., and .Omnletittq and te-P•i.nq t" ýl l.eclwon of intormation Send comments regarding this burdent estmate or ýtnt Othpr The authors, a group of 18 veteran space operations officers, explored the concept of placing a permanentl3rt manned station on Mars -Project Ares. Using a five phase plan involving an early moon base and thred scientific missions to Mars followed by cargo missions and eventually manned trips to the planet, the authors analyzed, designed, and documented their approach. The report focuses on the second phase of the project --scientific expansion of our knowledge of Mars and proof of a reliable transportation system. Among the subjectsi discussed in the report are management, mission profile and environment, and mission systems. The latteri subject contains a variety of systems proposed by various authorities in the space industry and selected to fulfill the unique requirements of the project. Because this phase is an integral part of the project, emphasis was on2 reusability and versatility.14. ... Our goal is to build on America's pioneer spirit and develop our next frontier.. .space. Nowhere do we so effectively demonstrate our technological leadership and ability to make life better on Earth.. .Our progress in space-taking giant steps for all mankind-is a tribute to American teamwork and excellence.. .We can follow our dreams to distant stars, living and working in space for peaceful, economic, and scientific gain. List of Tables President Ronald Reagan State of the Union Address 25 January 1984The first generation of space-probes has revealed so much strangeness and grandeur on our neighboring worlds that, as soon as the technical means are available, men will certainly visit them. And having done this, they will find reasons for living there-as on this earth they have established themselves in such improbable spots as the South Pole and the bottom of the ocean. Space itself, to the considerable surprise of most people, has turned out to be a benign environment; it is only the planets that are hostile. Even this was anticipated almost a century ago by Tsiolkovsky; he regarded the weightless realm of space as man's ultimate home.. .The escape from gravity which we have all known in our dreams may remind us of life's origins in the ocean; but it may also anticipate a far longer future in space. Cosmonaut-artist Alexei Leonov, the first man to step out of a space capsule and to float in the void, entitled his book of paintings: The Stars are Waiting.Arthur C. Clarke Sri Lanka 1980 viii / L Executive Summary Project ObjectivesThe objectives for the GSO-92D design team are to:1. Conduct preliminary research into a space-related systems engineering problem utilizing a project management approach.2....