Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “SPACE LOGISTICS”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1999

STS-96 Mission Highlights

In this first part of a three-part video mission-highlights set, the flight of the STS-96 Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery is reviewed. The flight crew consists of Kent V. Rominger, Commander; Rick D. Husband, Pilot; and Mission Specialists Ellen Ochoa, Tamara E. Jernigan, Daniel T. Barry, Julie Payette (Canadian), and Valery Ivanovich Tokarev (Russian). The primary goals of this mission were to work on logistics and resupply the International Space Station (ISS). This is the first flight to dock to the International Space Station. The primary payloads are the Russian cargo crane, known as STRELA, which the astronauts mount to the exterior of the Russian station segment, the SPACEHAB Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), and a U.S. built crane called the ORU Transfer Device (OTD). Other payloads include the Student Tracked Atmospheric Research Satellite for Heuristic International Networking Equipment (STARSHINE), the Shuttle Vibration Forces Experiment (SVF), and the Orbiter Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring - HEDS Technology Demonstration (IVHM HTD). The traditional pre-launch breakfast, being suited up, entry into the Shuttle, and views of the liftoff from several different vantage points are shown. In-flight footage includes views from the robot arm conducting a television survey of Discovery's payload bay and the flawless docking of the Unity module with the International Space Station. During the docking, camera views from both the ISS and Discovery are presented. These activities make up the first three Flight Days of STS-96.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1999

STS-96 Mission Highlights

In this third part of a three-part video mission-highlights set, spacecrew operations between the STS-96 Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery and the International Space Station, as well as STS reentry and landing is reviewed. The flight crew consists of Kent V. Rominger, Commander; Rick D. Husband, Pilot; and Mission Specialists Ellen Ochoa, Tamara E. Jernigan, Daniel T. Barry, Julie Payette (Canadian), and Valery Ivanovich Tokarev (Russian). The primary goals of this mission were to work on logistics and resupply the International Space Station. This third part of the three part series includes footage from Flight Days 8-11 (FD 8-11) of the mission. FD 8 includes the crew members moving the last items from Discovery into the International Space Station (ISS), closing the final hatch on the orbiting outpost and commanding a series of 17 pulses of Discovery's reaction control system jets to boost the station's orbit. Discovery undocks from the station, performs a 2 1/2 lap flyaround of the station, before Husband fires Discovery's jets in a final burst to move Discovery away from the station, concluding six days of docked operations. After the flyaround, Husband fires Discovery's jets to depart the station's vicinity. Beginning FD 9, as Discovery departs from the station, Mission Specialists Tammy Jernigan and Dan Barry pack away the space suit gear they used during their spacewalk early in the mission, while Commander Kent Rominger and Pilot Rick Husband practice landings on a laptop computer program. Mission Specialists Julie Payette and Valery Tokarev help to stow gear and repressurize the shuttle's cabin to its standard 14.7 pounds per square inch. The crew also readies to deploy a small, student-built payload called STARSHINE (Student Tracked Atmospheric Research Satellite for Heuristic International Networking Equipment). In and around landing preparations and the STARSHINE deploy, the crew stowe all equipment used throughout the mission. The STARSHINE satellite ejects from a canister in Discovery's payload bay on FD 10. FD 11 is completed as Discovery swoops out of the darkness as Commander Kent Rominger sets the shuttle and his crewmates down on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida to successfully complete the first shuttle mission of the year. Several different views of the landing are highlighted in the video.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1987

Maintainability Program Requirements for Space Systems

This document is established to provide common general requirements for all NASA programs to: design maintainability into all systems where maintenance is a factor in system operation and mission success; and ensure that maintainability characteristics are developed through the systems engineering process. These requirements are not new. Design for ease of maintenance and minimization of repair time have always been fundamental requirements of the systems engineering process. However, new or reusable orbital manned and in-flight maintainable unmanned space systems demand special emphasis on maintainability, and this document has been prepared to meet that need. Maintainability requirements on many NASA programs differ in phasing and task emphasis from requirements promulgated by other Government agencies. This difference is due to the research and development nature of NASA programs where quantities produced are generally small; therefore, the depth of logistics support typical of many programs is generally not warranted. The cost of excessive maintenance is very high due to the logistics problems associated with the space environment. The ability to provide timely maintenance often involves safety considerations for manned space flight applications. This document represents a basic set of requirements that will achieve a design for maintenance. These requirements are directed primarily at manned and unmanned orbital space systems. To be effective, maintainability requirements should be tailored to meet specific NASA program and project needs and constraints. NASA activities shall invoke the requirements of this document consistent with program planning in procurements or on inhouse development efforts.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1987

The challenge of logistics facilities development

The paper discusses the experiences of a group of engineers and logisticians at John F. Kennedy Space center in the design, construction and activation of a consolidated logistics facility for support of Space Transportation System ground operations and maintenance. The planning, methodology and processes are covered, with emphasis placed on unique aspects and lessons learned. The project utilized a progressive design, baseline and build concept for each phase of construction, with the Government exercising funding and configuration oversight.

Davis, James R.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Concept of Operations for a Prospective "Proving Ground" in the Lunar Vicinity

NASA is studying conceptual architectures for a "Proving Ground" near the Moon or in high lunar orbit to conduct human space exploration missions that bridge the gap between today's operations with the International Space Station (ISS) and future human exploration of Mars beginning in the 2030s. This paper describes the framework of a concept of operations ("Conops") for candidate activities in the Proving Ground. The Conops discusses broad goals that the Proving Ground might address, such as participation from commercial entities, support for human landings on the Moon, use of mature technologies, and growth of capability through a steady cadence of increasingly ambitious piloted missions. Additional Proving Ground objectives are outlined in a companion paper. Key elements in the Conops include the Orion spacecraft (with mission kits for docking and other specialized operations) and the Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket. Potential additions include a new space suit, commercial launch vehicles and logistics carriers, Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) stages to move elements between different orbits and eventually take them on excursions to deep space, a core module with multiple docking ports, a habitation block, and robotic and piloted lunar landers. The landers might include reusable ascent modules which could remain docked to in-space elements between lunar sorties. A module providing advanced regenerative life support functions could launch to the ISS, and later move to the Proving Ground. The architecture will include infrastructure for launch preparation, communication, mission control, and range safety. The Conops describes notional missions chosen to guide the design of the architecture and its elements. One such mission might be the delivery of a approximately 10-t Transit Habitat element, comanifested with Orion on a Block 1B SLS launcher, to the Proving Ground. In another mission, the architecture might participate in direct human exploration of an asteroidal boulder brought to high lunar orbit by the Asteroid Redirect Mission. The Proving Ground stack could serve as a staging point and tele-operation center for robotic and piloted Moon landings. With the addition of a SEP stage, the architecture could support months-long excursions within and beyond the Earth's sphere of influence, possibly culminating in a year-long mission to land humans on a near-Earth asteroid. In the last case, after returning to near-lunar space, two of the asteroid explorers could join two crewmembers freshly arrived from Earth for a Moon landing, helping to quantify the risk of landing deconditioned crews on Mars. In a conceptual mission particularly stressing to system design, Proving Ground elements could transit to Mars orbit. Other possible design-driving operations include relocation of the stack with no crew on board, the unpiloted journey of the advanced life support module from ISS to the lunar vicinity, excursions to other destinations in near-Earth space, and additional support for Mars exploration in conjunction with the Evolvable Mars Campaign. The Proving Ground Conops concludes with a discussion of aborts and contingency operations

Love, Stanley G.↗
NASA NTRS1970

Experiment module concepts study. Volume 1: Management summary

The minimum number of standardized (common) module concepts that will satisfy the experiment program for manned space stations at least cost is investigated. The module interfaces with other elements such as the space shuttle, ground stations, and the experiments themselves are defined. The total experiment module program resource and test requirements are also considered. The minimum number of common module concepts that will satisfy the program at least cost is found to be three, plus a propulsion slice and certain experiment-peculiar integration hardware. The experiment modules rely on the space station for operational, maintenance, and logistic support. They are compatible with both expendable and shuttle launch vehicles, and with servicing by shuttle, tug, or directly from the space station. A total experiment module program cost of approximately $2319M under the study assumptions is indicated. This total is made up of $838M for experiment module development and production, $806M for experiment equipment, and $675M for interface hardware, experiment integration, launch and flight operations, and program management and support.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2015

Comments on the MIT Assessment of the Mars One Plan

The MIT assessment of the Mars One mission plan reveals design assumptions that would cause significant difficulties. Growing crops in the crew chamber produces excessive oxygen levels. The assumed in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) equipment has too low a Technology Readiness Level (TRL). The required spare parts cause a large and increasing launch mass logistics burden. The assumed International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) technologies were developed for microgravity and therefore are not suitable for Mars gravity. Growing food requires more mass than sending food from Earth. The large number of spares is due to the relatively low reliability of ECLS and the low TRL of ISRU. The Mars One habitat design is similar to past concepts but does not incorporate current knowledge. The MIT architecture analysis tool for long-term settlements on the Martian surface includes an ECLS system simulation, an ISRU sizing model, and an analysis of required spares. The MIT tool showed the need for separate crop and crew chambers, the large spare parts logistics, that crops require more mass than Earth food, and that more spares are needed if reliability is lower. That ISRU has low TRL and ISS ECLS was designed for microgravity are well known. Interestingly, the results produced by the architecture analysis tool - separate crop chamber, large spares mass, large crop chamber mass, and low reliability requiring more spares - were also well known. A common approach to ECLS architecture analysis is to build a complex model that is intended to be all-inclusive and is hoped will help solve all design problems. Such models can struggle to replicate obvious and well-known results and are often unable to answer unanticipated new questions. A better approach would be to survey the literature for background knowledge and then directly analyze the important problems.

Mars mission↗
NASA NTRS2018

In-Space Manufacturing at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center: A Portfolio of Fabrication and Recycling Technology Development for the International Space Station

The in-space manufacturing project at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center seeks to mature the manufacturing capabilities which will be needed on long duration, long endurance human spaceflight missions. The ability to manufacture materials and parts in space rather than launching them from earth has the potential to reduce logistics requirements and enhance crew safety. The International Space Station serves as a unique orbiting test bed for in-space manufacturing technology development for NASA and its commercial partners. This paper provides an overview of the projects currently in the in-space manufacturing technology portfolio and key technology development efforts in the past year.

Prater, Tracie↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Artemis Gateway as a Cislunar Science Platform

The Artemis Gateway is a lunar orbiting platform that will enable a sustainable human presence on and around the Moon beginning in this decade. Along with serving as a habitat for astronauts in support of lunar landing missions, Gateway provides a unique opportunity for science and research within cislunar space, from human health to space weather, with an eye toward deep space human space flight. Payloads are planned to be manifested on a rotating basis both internally and externally on the Gateway as well as on visiting Logistics Modules. Similar to the International Space Station, the Gateway benefits from significant international cooperation, and partnering agencies are collaborating to facilitate multilateral research across disciplines. We will present an overview of the Gateway mission and its unique capabilities and rich exploration space.

Gateway↗
NASA NTRS1990

Operations Modeling for SSF Evolution

The operations required to support the on-orbit Space Station Freedom activities planned or being studied will be complex. Operational capability to perform tasks will be dependent on many factors such as manpower availability, logistics, other tasks being worked and Space Station configuration. This effort uses information available about these and other factors to perform operations analysis for given missions and determine the feasibility of target configuration concepts to support those missions. Studies have been conducted to determine processing requirements for a number of potential evolutionary missions on the Space Station Freedom. These studies have identified the need for growth of the Space Station in various ways. Some of the studies have dealt with the operational needs for the particular mission that they are concerned with, but none have looked at the total evolutionary operations requirement. In order to pursue the subject of overall on-orbit operations to any appreciable level of detail, data bases of operational on-orbit tasks need to be compiled, and an analysis tool is needed to assist the analyst. A number of existing operations tools have been reviewed, and none have been found to satisfactorily perform the functions needed to analyze integrated operations requirements for the evolutionary Space Station Freedom. However, during the tool review, some existing applications were found to provide subsets of the required functionality, and these are being considered for incorporation into the analysis tool.

Ganoe, George G.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Leveraging Terrestrial Industry for Utilization of Space Resources

NASA's Journey to Mars: Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration released in October of 2015 states that NASA is working toward the capability to work, operate, and sustainably live safely beyond Earth. To progress from our current "Earth-Reliant" approach to exploration and eventually become "Earth Independent", we need to first identify resources in space and then learn to use and harvest them to minimize logistics from Earth, reduce costs, and enable sustainable and affordable space transportation and surface operations. Known as In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), the collection and conversion of space resources into products such as propellants, fuel cell reactants, and life support consumables can greatly reduce the mass, cost, and risk of space exploration. Also, the ability to perform civil engineering, construction, and manufacturing at sites of exploration can also allow for increased crew safety and sustainable growth in critical infrastructure. Much of what NASA wants to do on the Moon and Mars with respect to harnessing and utilizing space resources has been performed and perfected on Earth over the centuries. While minimizing mass and operating in the vacuum of space may be unique challenges to NASA, both terrestrial industry and NASA face many of the same challenges associated with operating in severe environments, minimizing maintenance and logistics, maximizing performance per unit mass and volume, performing remote and autonomous operations, and integrating hardware from many vendors and countries. In the end, both NASA and terrestrial industry need to obtain a return on the investment for the development and deployment of these capabilities. This paper will first examine what is ISRU and what are the space resources of interest. The paper will than discuss what are NASA's approach, life cycle, and economic considerations for implementing ISRU. The paper will outline the site and infrastructure needs associated with a phased implementation of ISRU into human missions to the Moon and Mars. The paper will than assess what technologies and operations from terrestrial industries are relevant and synergistic with ISRU (from prospecting to product storage), and what challenges and similarities between the two can be exploited. Lastly, the paper will end with a discussion on where do we go from here for industry and NASA to collaborate.

Sanders, Gerald B.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Space Station operations

An evaluation of the success of the Space Station will be based on the service provided to the customers by the Station crew, the productivity of the crew, and the costs of operation. Attention is given to details regarding Space Station operations, a summary of operational philosophies and requirements, logistics and resupply operations, prelaunch processing and launch operations, on-orbit operations, aspects of maintainability and maintenance, habitability, and questions of medical care. A logistics module concept is considered along with a logistics module processing timeline, a habitability module concept, and a Space Station rescue mission.

Gray, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Infrastructure considerations

An evaluation is made of performance requirements and technology development prospects for the logistical capacity entailed by manned space exploration. While the Space Shuttle will suffice for the launch of crews to a LEO Space Station, in support of such exploration missions, cargo transport will require 500-1000 tonne annual payload capacity launchers. As a first step toward satisfaction of such requirements, NASA has undertaken the development of the Shuttle-C unmanned Space Shuttle derivative. This will be followed by the Shuttle-Z derivative-family, aimed at meeting the needs of Mars missions. Joint USAF/NASA Advanced Launch System development will allow a given launch to place 91 tonnes in LEO.

Lovelace, Uriel↗
NASA NTRS1993

Space Station evolution study

This is the Space Station Freedom (SSF) Evolution Study 1993 Final Report, performed under NASA Contract NAS8-38783, Task Order 5.1. This task examined: (1) the feasibility of launching current National Space Transportation System (NSTS) compatible logistics elements on expendable launch vehicles (ELV's) and the associated modifications, and (2) new, non-NSTS logistics elements for launch on ELV's to augment current SSF logistics capability.

Evans, David B.↗
NASA NTRS2001

STS-105 Flight Day 5 Highlights

On this fifth day of the STS-105 mission, the transfer of supplies from the Leonardo Multipurpose Logistics Module to the International Space Station (ISS) and the handover of control of the ISS from the Expedition 2 crew (Yuriy Usachev, Jim Voss, and Susan Helms) to the Expedition 3 crew (Frank Culbertson, Jr., Mikhail Turin, and Vladimir Dezhurov) continue. Commanders Usachev and Culbertson answer questions about the ISS in an on-orbit interview, and the Expedition 3 crewmembers give a video tour of their new sleeping quarters on the ISS. The north Pacific Ocean and the United States Pacific northwest are seen from space.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2001

STS-108 Flight Day 5 Highlights

On this fifth day of the STS-108 mission, the STS-108 crew (Commander Dominic Gorie, Pilot Mark Kelly, and Mission Specialists Linda Godwin and Daniel Tani), Expedition 3 crew (Commander Frank Culbertson, Jr. and Flight Engineers Mikhail Turin and Vladimir Dezhurov), and Expedition 4 crew (Commander Yuri Onufrienko and Flight Engineers Carl Walz and Daniel Bursch) join in an on-orbit conference to honor those who lost loved ones in the September 11th tragedy. They are also seen moving equipment from the Rafaello Multipurpose Logistics Module to the International Space Station.

Source record↗