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Steiner, Mark

Publications and source records attributed to Steiner, Mark.

Conceptual Design of a Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle (HAIV) Flight Validation Mission

In this paper we present a detailed overview of the MDL study results and subsequent advances in the design of GNC algorithms for accurate terminal guidance during hypervelocity NEO intercept. The MDL study produced a conceptual con guration of the two-body HAIV and its subsystems; a mission scenario and trajectory design for a notional flight validation mission to a selected candidate target NEO; GNC results regarding the ability of the HAIV to reliably intercept small (50 m) NEOs at hypervelocity (typically greater than 10 km/s); candidate launch vehicle selection; a notional operations concept and cost estimate for the flight validation mission; and a list of topics to address during the remainder of our NIAC Phase II study.

Barbee, Brent W.

Conceptual Design of a Flight Validation Mission for a Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle

Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) are asteroids and comets whose orbits approach or cross Earth s orbit. NEOs have collided with our planet in the past, sometimes to devastating effect, and continue to do so today. Collisions with NEOs large enough to do significant damage to the ground are fortunately infrequent, but such events can occur at any time and we therefore need to develop and validate the techniques and technologies necessary to prevent the Earth impact of an incoming NEO. In this paper we provide background on the hazard posed to Earth by NEOs and present the results of a recent study performed by the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center s Mission Design Lab (MDL) in collaboration with Iowa State University s Asteroid Deflection Research Center (ADRC) to design a flight validation mission for a Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle (HAIV) as part of a Phase 2 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) research project. The HAIV is a two-body vehicle consisting of a leading kinetic impactor and trailing follower carrying a Nuclear Explosive Device (NED) payload. The HAIV detonates the NED inside the crater in the NEO s surface created by the lead kinetic impactor portion of the vehicle, effecting a powerful subsurface detonation to disrupt the NEO. For the flight validation mission, only a simple mass proxy for the NED is carried in the HAIV. Ongoing and future research topics are discussed following the presentation of the detailed flight validation mission design results produced in the MDL.

Barbee, Brent W.

Systematic Technology Planning: GSFC Perspective

This viewgraph presentation describes the experiences of Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in integrating systematic technology investment planning into the process of architecting NASA space missions. The presentation uses the assessment of a lidar mission as a case study, and illustrates integration strategies through flow charts and dynamic systems models.

Steiner, Mark

The Integrated Mission Design Center (IMDC) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA Goddard has used its Integrated Mission Design Center (IMDC) to perform more than 150 mission concept studies. The IMDC performs rapid development of high-level, end-to-end mission concepts, typically in just 4 days. The approach to the studies varies, depending on whether the proposed mission is near-future using existing technology, mid-future using new technology being actively developed, or far-future using technology which may not yet be clearly defined. The emphasis and level of detail developed during any particular study depends on which timeframe (near-, mid-, or far-future) is involved and the specific needs of the study client. The most effective mission studies are those where mission capabilities required and emerging technology developments can synergistically work together; thus both enhancing mission capabilities and providing impetus for ongoing technology development.

Karpati, Gabriel