Review of US Concepts for Post-ISS Space Habitation Facilities and Future Opportunities

Thronson, H. A.; Lester, D. F.; Moe, Rud; Sullivan, Greg

doi:10.2514/6.2010-8695

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…However, the ISS requires constant resupply and maintenance and is designed to operate exclusively in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment. For the next phase of human space flight, therefore, exploration capability beyond that of ISS is required [3]. A number of studies have been commissioned by NASA this millennium to identify potential next steps including the Trans Hab and several iterations of the Gateway concept, developed by the Decade Planning Team [4] and its successor the NASA Exploration Team (NExT) [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Options for staging orbits in cislunar space

Whitley

Martinez

2016

2016 IEEE Aerospace Conference

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NASA has been studying options to conduct missions beyond Low Earth Orbit, but within the Earth-Moon system, in preparation for deep space exploration including human missions to Mars. Referred to as the Proving Ground, this arena of exploration activities will enable the development of human spaceflight systems and operations to satisfy future exploration objectives beyond the cislunar environment. One option being considered includes the deployment of a habitable element or elements, which could be used as a central location for aggregation of supplies and resources for human missions in cislunar space and beyond. Characterizing candidate orbit locations for this asset and the impacts on system design and mission operations is important in the overall assessment of the options being considered. The orbits assessed in this paper were previously identified in work conducted by NASA and others. In this paper orbits are assessed for their relative attractiveness based on various factors. First, a set of constraints related to the capability of the combined Orion and Space Launch System (SLS) system to deliver humans and cargo to and from the orbit are evaluated. Second, the ability to support potential lunar surface activities is considered. Finally, deployed assets intended to spend multiple years in the Proving Ground would ideally require minimal station keeping costs to reduce the mass budget allocated to this function. Additional mission design drivers include potential for uninterrupted communication with deployed assets, thermal, communications, and other operational implications. The results of the characterization and evaluation of the selected orbits indicate a Near Rectilinear Orbit (NRO) is an attractive candidate as an aggregation point or staging location for operations. In this paper, the NRO is further described in terms which balance a number of key attributes that favor a variety of mission classes to meet multiple, sometimes competing, constraints.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Options for staging orbits in cislunar space

Whitley

Martinez

2016

2016 IEEE Aerospace Conference

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“…The impact of Log-Pak as a fraction of the user payload is shown in a separate analysis. The source of the delta-v values in Table 3 are found in References 14,20,and 21. Note that the low thrust to weight ratio of EP results in higher effective delta-v than the high thrust chemical propulsion system.…”

Section: Cis-lunar "Mixed Fleet" Concept and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

A Cis-Lunar Propellant Infrastructure for Flexible Path Exploration and Space Commerce

Oeftering

2011

AIAA SPACE 2011 Conference &Amp; Exposition

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Long-Duration Human Habitation Beyond Low-Earth Orbit: Why is the Near Future Critical?

Thronson

Lester

Hatfield

2011

AIAA SPACE 2011 Conference &Amp; Exposition

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You can explore beyond LEO with the systems that you have or wait for the systems that you wish you had.For more than a decade, habitation systems capable of comfortable human occupation and effective operations beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO) for more than a few weeks have been a priority recommendation to NASA. This capability is a lynch pin for human exploration beyond the Earth-Moon system. Here we describe briefly some relevant concepts and discuss justifications in the current political and financial environment for why near-term human habitation systems beyond LEO is an imperative.

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Review of US Concepts for Post-ISS Space Habitation Facilities and Future Opportunities

Cited by 3 publications

References 2 publications

Options for staging orbits in cislunar space

Options for staging orbits in cislunar space

A Cis-Lunar Propellant Infrastructure for Flexible Path Exploration and Space Commerce

Long-Duration Human Habitation Beyond Low-Earth Orbit: Why is the Near Future Critical?

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