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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.

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NASA NTRS2011

Full Mission Astronaut Radiation Exposure Assessments for Long Duration Lunar Surface Missions

Risk to astronauts due to ionizing radiation exposure is a primary concern for missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and will drive mission architecture requirements, mission timelines, and operational practices. For short missions, radiation risk is dominated by the possibility of a large Solar Particle Event (SPE). Longer duration missions have both SPE and Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) risks. SPE exposure can contribute significantly toward cancer induction in combination with GCR. As mission duration increases, mitigation strategies must address the combined risks from SPE and GCR exposure. In this paper, full mission exposure assessments were performed for the proposed long duration lunar surface mission scenarios. In order to accomplish these assessments, previously developed radiation shielding models for a proposed lunar habitat and rover were utilized. End-to-End mission exposure assessments were performed by first calculating exposure rates for locations in the habitat, rover, and during Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVA). Subsequently, total mission exposures were evaluated for the proposed timelines. Mission exposure results, assessed in terms of effective dose, are presented for the proposed timelines and recommendations are made for improved astronaut shielding and safer operational practices.

Adamczyk, Anne↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Regenerative ECLSS and Logistics Analysis for Sustained Lunar Surface Missions

As NASA begins to develop concepts for sustained crew missions to the lunar surface, it will be essential to evaluate the logistics requirements needed to enable such missions. Lunar surface missions will involve crews of four astronauts living on the surface for periods of 30 days or longer. Astronauts will either live in a surface habitat or transfer between a habitat and a pressurized rover. The amount of logistics that must be delivered to the surface to support the crew, support the surface systems, and conduct science could be substantial. Because NASA plans to conduct these missions on an annual basis, the complexity and cost of logistics delivery will likely drive campaign sustainability. The amount of required logistics is partially a function of the ECLSS system in the habitable elements on the surface. The higher the capability of regenerative ECLSS that can be accommodated, the lower the logistics requirements. However, the increased regenerative ECLSS capabilities will also increase the initial delivery mass of elements and require additional maintenance and spares to maintain the systems. This paper describes an effort to evaluate lunar sustained logistics requirements, including sensitivity analysis for ECLSS architecture options and their impact on requirements. The authors determine logistics requirements using an integrated surface ECLSS model. The model considers different configurations of rover and habitat setups with multiple ECLSS options on both. The tool can also model gas and liquid transfer options between the habitat and the rover. The authors use the model to evaluate several different ECLSS configurations and their logistics requirements. The authors then complete a sensitivity analysis that compares logistic requirements and the initial delivery mass over increasing ECLSS capabilities. Finally, the authors make recommendations for an ECLSS architecture option that balances the tradeoffs between logistics requirements and ECLSS mass.

Environmental Control and Life Support↗
NASA NTRS2017

A Water Rich Mars Surface Mission Scenario

The surface of Mars once had abundant water flowing on its surface, but now there is a general perception that this surface is completely dry. Several lines of research have shown that there are sources of potentially large quantities of water at many locations on the surface, including regions considered as candidates for future human missions. Traditionally, system designs for these human missions are constrained to tightly recycle water and oxygen, and current resource utilization strategies involve ascent vehicle oxidizer production only. But the assumption of relatively abundant extant water may change this. Several scenarios were constructed to evaluate water requirements for human Mars expeditions to assess the impact to system design if locally produced water is available. Specifically, we have assessed water resources needed for 1) ascent vehicle oxidizer and fuel production, 2) open-loop water and oxygen life support requirements along with more robust usage scenarios, and 3) crew radiation protection augmentation. In this assessment, production techniques and the associated chemistry to transform Martian water and atmosphere into these useful commodities are identified, but production mass and power requirements are left to future analyses. The figure below illustrates the type of water need assessment performed and that will be discussed. There have been several sources of feedstock material discussed in recent literature that could be used to produce these quantities of water. This paper will focus on Mars surface features that resemble glacier-like forms on Earth. Several lines of evidence indicate that some of these features are in fact buried ice, likely remnants from an earlier ice age on Mars. This paper examines techniques and hardware systems used in the polar regions of Earth to access this buried ice and withdraw water from it. These techniques and systems will be described to illustrate options available. A technique known as a Rodriguez Well is assessed as a likely method for extracting water from these bodies of ice. The figure below is a sample of results from this assessment that will be discussed.

Hoffman, Stephen↗
NASA NTRS2004

Electronics and Sensor Cooling with a Stirling Cycle for Venus Surface Mission

The inhospitable ambient surface conditions of Venus, with a 450 C temperature and 92 bar pressure, may likely require any extended-duration surface exploratory mission to incorporate some type of cooling for probe electronics and sensor devices. A multiple-region Venus mission study was completed at NASA GRC in December of 2003 that resulted in the preliminary design of a kinematically-driven, helium charged, Stirling cooling cycle with an estimated over-all COP of 0.376 to lift 100 watts of heat from a 200 C cold sink temperature and reject it at a hot sink temperature of 500 C. This paper briefly describes the design process and also describes and summarizes key features of the kinematic, Stirling cooler preliminary design concept.

Mellott, Ken↗
NASA NTRS2020

Strategic Implications of Phobos as a Staging Point for Mars Surface Missions

As human exploration endeavors begin to set sights beyond low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon, exploration of the surface of Mars continues to serve as the “horizon destination” to help focus development and research efforts. One Mars exploration strategy often discussed is the notion of utilizing the moons of Mars, namely Phobos, as an exploration destination prior to Mars surface missions. The premise behind this is that staging missions from Mars’ moons as well as exploring the moons themselves would be less costly and risky. However, understanding potential advantages of Phobos staging and exploration must be done in the context of the overall end-to-end Mars surface exploration needs, goals, objectives, campaign approach, and systems required. This paper examines the strategic implications of utilizing the moons of Mars as a potential location for exploration of Mars. Operational concepts utilizing both Phobos and Mars orbital strategies will be examined to understand the architectural impacts of this staging strategy. The strategic implications of each operational concept are assessed to determine the overall key challenges and strategic links to other exploration destinations. Results from this analysis indicate that, if the objective is to conduct Mars surface missions, utilizing Phobos as an exploration destination adds little benefit toward the goal of exploration of Mars.

Drake, Bret G.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Strategic Implications of Phobos as a Staging Point for Mars Surface Missions

As human exploration endeavors begin to set sights beyond low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon, exploration of the surface of Mars continues to serve asthe “drivingdestination” to help focus development and research efforts. One Mars exploration strategy often discussed is the notion of utilizing the moons of Mars, namely Phobos,as an exploration destination prior toMars surface missions. This strategy is sometimes advocated based on the premisethat staging missions from Mars’ moons as well as exploring the moons themselves would be less costly and risky. However,understanding potential advantages of Phobos staging and exploration must be done in the context of the overall end-to-end Mars surface exploration needs, goals, objectives, campaign approach, and systems required. This paper examines the strategic implications of utilizing the moonsof Mars as a potential location for explorationof Mars. Operational concepts utilizing both Phobos and Mars orbital strategies will be examined to understand the architectural impacts of this staging strategy. The strategic implications of each operational concept are assessed to determine the overall key challenges and strategic links to other explorationdestinations. Results from this analysis indicate that,if the objective is to conduct Mars surface missions, utilizing Phobos as an exploration destination adds little benefittoward the goal of exploration of Mars.

Human↗
NASA NTRS1993

Mars Relays Satellite Orbit Design Considerations for Global Support of Robotic Surface Missions

This paper discusses orbit design considerations for Mars relay satellite (MRS)support of globally distributed robotic surface missions. The orbit results reported in this paper are derived from studies of MRS support for two types of Mars robotic surface missions: 1) the mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) mission, which in its current definition would deploy a global network of up to 16 small landers, and 2)a Small Mars Sample Return (SMSR) mission, which included four globally distributed landers, each with a return stage and one or two rovers, and up to four additional sets of lander/rover elements in an extended mission phase.

Robitics Mars↗
NASA NTRS2014

Near Infrared Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy for Isotopic Analyses of CH4 on Future Martian Surface Missions

A compact Near Infrared Continuous Wave Cavity Ring-Down Spectrometer (near-IR-cw-CRDS) was developed as a candidate for future planetary surface missions. The optical cavity was made of titanium with rugged quartz windows to protect the delicate super cavity from the harsh environmental changes that it would experience during space flight and a Martian surface mission. This design assured the long-term stability of the system. The system applied three distributed feedback laser diodes (DFB-LD), two of which were tuned to the absorption line peaks of (sup 12)CH4 and (sup 13)CH4 at 6046.954 inverse centimeters and 6049.121 inverse centimeters, respectively. The third laser was tuned to a spectral-lines-free region for measuring the baseline cavity loss. The multiple laser design compensated for typical baseline drift of a CRDS system and, thus, improved the overall precision. A semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) was used instead of an Acousto-Optic Module (AOM) to initiate the cavity ring-down events. It maintained high acquisition rates such as AOM, but consumed less power. High data acquisition rates combined with improved long-term stability yielded precise isotopic measurements in this near-IR region even though the strongest CH4 absorption line in this region is 140 times weaker than that of the strongest mid-IR absorption band. The current system has a detection limit of 1.4 times 10( sup –12) inverse centimeters for (sup 13)CH4. This limit corresponds to approximately 7 parts per trillion volume of CH4 at 100 Torrs. With no further improvements the detection limit of our current near IR-cw-CRDS at an ambient Martian pressure of approximately 6 Torrs (8 millibars) would be 0.25 parts per billion volume for one 3.3 minute long analysis.

portable nir crds↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Replication of Segments of STS-94 as a Lunar Surface Mission

The Artemis exploration plan will progress from initial Commercial Lunar Payloads Services (CLPS) landers to human landings to an established surface infrastructure supporting four crew for surface missions of a month or greater. NASA teams are currently working with partners to define the surface assets that will comprise this infrastructure, including habitation and laboratory facilities. However, design engineers often have limited insight into the laboratory capabilities needed inside a pressurized habitat or the demands such a facility will place upon crew availability. The Space Shuttle STS-94 Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL-1) mission is used as an intravehicular activity science analog for the Surface Habitat. The STS-94 primary physical science instruments and crew activity in support of physical science investigations will be examined. Based on recent reference concepts for the Surface Habitat, options for incorporating the instruments and options for dividing physical science tasks among the Surface Habitat crew are discussed, based on STS94 crew tasks and assumptions for Surface Habitat operations. Crew size considerations are raised along with recommendations to reassess some of the current assumptions. Having shown that STS-94’s physical science investigations can be applied to a lunar surface mission, recommendations are made for increased attention to pressurized laboratory objectives, capabilities, and crew size.

Surface Habitat↗
NASA NTRS2014

Calculation of Operations Efficiency Factors for Mars Surface Missions

The duration of a mission--and subsequently, the minimum spacecraft lifetime--is a key component in designing the capabilities of a spacecraft during mission formulation. However, determining the duration is not simply a function of how long it will take the spacecraft to execute the activities needed to achieve mission objectives. Instead, the effects of the interaction between the spacecraft and ground operators must also be taken into account. This paper describes a method, using "operations efficiency factors", to account for these effects for Mars surface missions. Typically, this level of analysis has not been performed until much later in the mission development cycle, and has not been able to influence mission or spacecraft design. Further, the notion of moving to sustainable operations during Prime Mission--and the effect that change would have on operations productivity and mission objective choices--has not been encountered until the most recent rover missions (MSL, the (now-cancelled) joint NASA-ESA 2018 Mars rover, and the proposed rover for Mars 2020). Since MSL had a single control center and sun-synchronous relay assets (like MER), estimates of productivity derived from MER prime and extended missions were used. However, Mars 2018's anticipated complexity (there would have been control centers in California and Italy, and a non-sun-synchronous relay asset) required the development of an explicit model of operations efficiency that could handle these complexities. In the case of the proposed Mars 2018 mission, the model was employed to assess the mission return of competing operations concepts, and as an input to component lifetime requirements. In this paper we provide examples of how to calculate the operations efficiency factor for a given operational configuration, and how to apply the factors to surface mission scenarios. This model can be applied to future missions to enable early effective trades between operations design, science mission planning, and spacecraft design.

Laubach, Sharon↗
NASA NTRS2018

Human Mars Surface Mission Nuclear Power Considerations

A key decision facing Mars mission designers is how to power a crewed surface field station. Unlike the solar-powered Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) that could retreat to a very low power state during a Martian dust storm, human Mars surface missions are estimated to need at least 15 kilowatts of electrical (kWe) power simply to maintain critical life support and spacecraft functions. 'Hotel' loads alone for a pressurized crew rover approach two kWe; driving requires another five kWe-well beyond what the Curiosity rover’s Radioisotope Power System (RPS) was designed to deliver. Full operation of a four-crew Mars field station is estimated at about 40 kWe. Clearly, a crewed Mars field station will require a substantial and reliable power source, beyond the scale of robotic mission experience. This paper explores the applications for both fission and RPS nuclear options for Mars.

Rucker, Michelle A.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Mars Surface Mission Workshop

A workshop was held at the Lunar and Planetary Institute on September 4-5, 1997, to address the surface elements of the Mars Reference Mission now being reviewed by NASA. The workshop considered the current reference mission and addressed the types of activities that would be expected for science and resource exploration and facilities operations. A set of activities was defined that can be used to construct "vignettes" of the surface mission. These vignettes can form the basis for describing the importance of the surface mission, for illustrating aspects of the surface mission, and for allowing others to extend and revise these initial ideas. The topic is rich with opportunities for additional conceptualization. It is recommended that NASA consider supporting university design teams to conduct further analysis of the possibilities.

Duke, M. B.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Impact of Utilizing Photos and Deimos as Waypoints for Mars Human Surface Missions

Phobos and Deimos, the moons of Mars, are interesting exploration destinations that offer extensibility of the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) technologies. Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP), asteroid rendezvous and docking, and surface operations can be used to land on and explore the moons of Mars. The close Mars vicinity of Phobos and Deimos warrant examining them as waypoints, or intermediate staging orbits, for Mars surface missions. This paper outlines the analysis performed to determine the mass impact of using the moons of Mars both as an intermediate staging point for exploration as well as for in-situ recourse utilization, namely propellant, to determine if the moons are viable options to include in the broader Mars surface exploration architecture.

Cianciolo, Alicia D.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Mars Mission Surface Operation Simulation Testing of Lithium-Ion Batteries

The objectives of this program are to 1) Assess viability of using lithium-ion technology for future NASA applications, with emphasis upon Mars landers and rovers which will operate on the planetary surface; 2) Support the JPL 2003 Mars Exploration Rover program to assist in the delivery and testing of a 8 AHr Lithium-Ion battery (Lithion/Yardney) which will power the rover; 3) Demonstrate applicability of using lithium-ion technologyfor future Mars applications: Mars 09 Science Laboratory (Smart Lander) and Future Mars Surface Operations (General). Mission simulation testing was carried out for cells and batteries on the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander and the 2003 Mars Exploration Rover.

Smart, M. C.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Regenerative ECLSS and Logistics Analysis for Sustained Lunar Surface Missions

As NASA develops concepts for sustained crew missions to the lunar surface, a crucial component of mission planning will be evaluating the required amount of logistics to support the crew, surface systems, and science operations. This amount could be substantial. Because NASA plans to conduct these missions on an annual basis, the complexity and cost of logistics delivery will likely drive campaign sustainability. Logistics quantity is partially a function of the regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) capability in habitable elements on the surface. The regenerative ECLSS recycles human waste to produce water and oxygen, reducing the consumables needed for a mission. Thus, an ECLSS with increased regenerative capability will require less logistics. However, an ECLSS with enhanced regenerative abilities will also increase the initial delivery mass of elements and require extra maintenance items and spares. This paper analyzes the tradeoff between initial delivery masses of different regenerative ECLSS options and the amount of logistics resupply required for each option.

Environmental Control and Life Support Systems↗