Results for “Transit Habitat” — Page 3

NASA NTRS2018

Arog Dual Purpose Habitat

Vision and Mission Statement Commonality of design between a space transit habitat and Mars surface habitat has the potential to reduce mission cost and risk by reducing crew training and increasing efficiency on arrival. Using the diverse array of talent and expertise available at the University of Michigan, BLiSS will explore the concept of commonality on every level of the design. System Definition We will design a habitation system that will house a human crew on either the Martian surface or a deep space transit. The system will be designed with a high degree of commonality between the two configurations. The team will validate the design through analysis and the construction of full scale mockups.

Nilton De Oliveira Renno↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Deep Space Habitat Primary Structure - A Comparison between Metallic, Inflatable, and Composite Materials

This paper presents a comprehensive trade study comparing metallic, inflatable, and composite primary structure materials for a Mars Transit Habitat module. The study evaluates the impact of these materials on the overall mass, outfitting, and mission complexity of the habitat. The results show that the composite module outperforms the other options in terms of minimum mass, being 33% lighter than the metallic configurations and 41% lighter than the inflatable option. The study highlights the potential of composite habitats for future space missions and emphasizes the need for further development and testing to increase the Technology Readiness Level.

Matthew T. Ziglar↗

NASA NTRS2015

Small Body Hopper Mobility Concepts

A propellant-saving hopper mobility system was studied that could help facilitate the exploration of small bodies such as Phobos for long-duration human missions. The NASA Evolvable Mars Campaign (EMC) has proposed a mission to the moons of Mars as a transitional step for eventual Mars surface exploration. While a Mars transit habitat would be parked in High-Mars Orbit (HMO), crew members would visit the surface of Phobos multiple times for up to 14 days duration (up to 50 days at a time with logistics support). This paper describes a small body surface mobility concept that is capable of transporting a small, two-person Pressurized Exploration Vehicle (PEV) cabin to various sites of interest in the low-gravity environment. Using stored kinetic energy between bounces, a propellant-saving hopper mobility system can release the energy to vector the vehicle away from the surface in a specified direction. Alternatively, the stored energy can be retained for later use while the vehicle is stationary in respect to the surface. The hopper actuation was modeled using a variety of launch velocities, and the hopper mobility was evaluated using NASA Exploration Systems Simulations (NExSyS) for transit between surface sites of interest. A hopper system with linear electromagnetic motors and mechanical spring actuators coupled with Control Moment Gyroscope (CMG) for attitude control will use renewable electrical power, resulting in a significant propellant savings.

Phobos↗

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 NTRSDate not supplied

Mars Surface Habitat Concept Design

An initial Mars Surface Habitat (MSH) concept design study was conducted as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Habitation Systems Development Office’s effort to inform NASA crewed Mars architecture decisions. The study assessed the unique challenges, risks, and benefits of a surface habitation element within the Mars architecture trade space. The goal of the study was to identify unique functional capabilities necessary to support a crewed mission on the Martian surface, the unique challenges and risks associated with such an architecture, and the areas of further analysis required to make such a mission possible. Continuing NASA’s development and execution of the Moon to Mars lunar surface missions, attention will continue progressing toward the initial crewed Mars mission. To prepare for this, NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) has established a strategic analysis cycle (SAC) where an architectural trade space is identified and evaluated. Given that the Mars architecture and mission profile are still in this trade space, the architecture and mission considered for this study is SAC21. In addition, reference conceptual designs are being refined for the Mars Transit Habitat (TH) and MSH systems which will enable crew to safely travel to and inhabit the surface of Mars. The NASA Mars architectures trade space includes the use of a Pressurized Rover (PR) to address both crew habitation and mobility needs. This study assesses the use of a dedicated habitat via the MSH and an unpressurized terrain vehicle for crew mobility and exploration in lieu of the PR. Determining the optimum mission architecture will require continued analysis by ESDMD teams and this study is intended to support of such a study. The MSH concept design team aims to explore this area of the Mars habitation trade space, and in doing so, inform and highlight the considerations associated with a MSH in the surface architecture. It is not the intention of this study to make specific habitation or architecture decisions, but instead to provide a habitation element concept compatible with the Mars architecture trade space.

Mars Surface Habitat↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Mars Surface Habitat (MSH) Concept Design

An initial Mars Surface Habitat (MSH) concept design study was conducted as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Habitation Systems Development Office’s effort to inform NASA crewed Mars architecture decisions. The study assessed the unique challenges, risks, and benefits of a surface habitation element within the Mars architecture trade space. The goal of the study was to identify unique functional capabilities necessary to support a crewed mission on the Martian surface, the unique challenges and risks associated with such an architecture, and the areas of further analysis required to make such a mission possible. Continuing NASA’s development and execution of the Moon to Mars lunar surface missions, attention will continue progressing toward the initial crewed Mars mission. To prepare for this, NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) has established a strategic analysis cycle (SAC) where an architectural trade space is identified and evaluated. Given that the Mars architecture and mission profile are still in this trade space, the architecture and mission considered for this study is SAC21. In addition, reference conceptual designs are being refined for the Mars Transit Habitat (TH) and MSH systems which will enable crew to safely travel to and inhabit the surface of Mars. The NASA Mars architectures trade space includes the use of a Pressurized Rover (PR) to address both crew habitation and mobility needs. This study assesses the use of a dedicated habitat via the MSH and an unpressurized terrain vehicle for crew mobility and exploration in lieu of the PR. Determining the optimum mission architecture will require continued analysis by ESDMD teams and this study is intended to support of such a study. The MSH concept design team aims to explore this area of the Mars habitation trade space, and in doing so, inform and highlight the considerations associated with a MSH in the surface architecture. It is not the intention of this study to make specific habitation or architecture decisions, but instead to provide a habitation element concept compatible with the Mars architecture trade space.

Ryan Hughes↗

NASA NTRS2000

Item Description: ISS TransHab Restraint Sample and Photo Documentation

The yellow strap seen in the display is a piece of the main restraint layer of a test article for the ISS TransHab spacecraft, First conceived as a technology which is capable of supporting a [human] crew of six on an extended space journey such as the six-month trip to Mars, TransHab (short for "Transit habitat") is the first space inflatable module ever designed. As this text is written it is being considered as a replacement for the Habitation module on the International Space Station (ISS). It constitutes a major breakthrough both in technology and in tectonics: capable of tight packaging at light weight for efficient launch, the vehicle can then be inflated to its full size on orbit via its own inflation tanks. This is made possible by the separation of its main structural elements from its pressure-shell. In other words, all spacecraft flown to date have been of an exoskeletal type---i.e., its hard outer shell acts both as a pressure container and as its main channel for structural loading This includes the ISS, which is currently under construction in Low Earth Orbit [275 miles above the Earth]. By contrast TransHab is the first endoskeletal space Habitat, consisting of a dual system: a light, reconfigurable central structure of graphite composite and a multilayered, deployable pressure shell.

Adams, Constance↗

NASA NTRS2015

An Alternative Humans to Mars Approach: Reducing Mission Mass with Multiple Mars Flyby Trajectories and Minimal Capability Investments

Mars flyby trajectories and Earth return trajectories have the potential to enable lower- cost and sustainable human exploration of Mars. Flyby and return trajectories are true minimum energy paths with low to zero post-Earth departure maneuvers. By emplacing the large crew vehicles required for human transit on these paths, the total fuel cost can be reduced. The traditional full-up repeating Earth-Mars-Earth cycler concept requires significant infrastructure, but a Mars only flyby approach minimizes mission mass and maximizes opportunities to build-up missions in a stepwise manner. In this paper multiple strategies for sending a crew of 4 to Mars orbit and back are examined. With pre-emplaced assets in Mars orbit, a transit habitat and a minimally functional Mars taxi, a complete Mars mission can be accomplished in 3 SLS launches and 2 Mars Flyby's, including Orion. While some years are better than others, ample opportunities exist within a given 15-year Earth-Mars alignment cycle. Building up a mission cadence over time, this approach can translate to Mars surface access. Risk reduction, which is always a concern for human missions, is mitigated by the use of flybys with Earth return (some of which are true free returns) capability.

Whitley, Ryan J.↗

NASA NTRS2016

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

NASA is studying a "Proving Ground" near the Moon to conduct human space exploration missions in preparation for future flights to Mars. This paper describes a concept of operations ("conops") for activities in the Proving Ground, focusing on the construction and use of a mobile Cislunar Transit Habitat capable of months-long excursions within and beyond the Earth-Moon system. Key elements in the conops include the Orion spacecraft (with mission kits for docking and other specialized operations) and the Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket. Potential additions include commercial launch vehicles and logistics carriers, solar electric propulsion stages to move elements between different orbits and eventually take them on excursions to deep space, a node module with multiple docking ports, habitation and life support blocks, and international robotic and piloted lunar landers. The landers might include reusable ascent modules which could remain docked to in-space elements between lunar sorties. The architecture will include infrastructure for launch preparation, communication, mission control, and range safety. The conops describes "case studies" of notional missions chosen to guide the design of the architecture and its elements. One such mission is the delivery of a ~10-ton pressurized element, co-manifested with an Orion on a Block 1B Space Launch System rocket, to the Proving Ground. With a large solar electric propulsion stage, the architecture could enable 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 safely quantify the risk of landing deconditioned crews on Mars. The conops also discusses aborts and contingency operations. Early return to Earth may be difficult, especially during later Proving Ground missions. While adding risk, limited-abort conditions provide needed practice for Mars, from which early return is likely to be impossible.

Love, Stanley G.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) Developments for Human Mars Missions

Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) has the potential to enable human missions to Mars and other ambitious missions throughout the solar system. This paper will discuss ongoing NEP research and development efforts and challenges to developing NEP systems for these missions. The baseline NEP vehicle design is comprised of multiple subsystems operating in concert. The major subsystems include a nuclear reactor, a dynamic power conversion system to generate electrical power, heat rejection/radiators, a power management and distribution system to deliver power to the electric propulsion (EP) system and to the crewed transit habitat, and the EP system. An additional chemical propulsion system is also included to execute higher-thrust maneuvers in the Earth and Martian gravity wells. Specific issues that will be addressed include mission trajectory design and optimization, concurrent subsystem technology advancement plans and maturation efforts, and systems-level modeling of the entire vehicle to permit the fast exploration of trade-offs that can occur with changes in operating conditions or through the use of different technologies.

Kurt A Polzin↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Fabrication of Gecko Mobility Aids for Deep Space Exploration

Spacecraft large enough for crew to move around inside them have traditionally used handrails and foot restraints to enable crew mobility. The mass of this hardware can become significant in large spacecraft such as ISS or a Mars Transit Habitat. The Common Habitat study also determined that handrails and foot restraints in a multi-gravity habitat are trip hazards when the habitat is in a gravity environment. ISS crew have noted risks of breaking ankles and wrists when using handrails for translation and have noted places where not enough handrails are present. Robotic gecko-derived grippers developed by JPL to retrieve satellites can be adapted to crew-worn pads that can adhere to surfaces to enable crew translation in microgravity. This project will fabricate prototypes of crew clothing augmented with gecko pads.

Restraints and Mobility Aids↗

NASA NTRS2024

Multidisciplinary Analytics, Visualization, and Reporting Interface for Integrated Countermeasures

Exploration class missions will have communication latency requiring crew members to make decisions more autonomously, with less support from ground personnel. Therefore, new software is needed to provide crew the ability to not only visualize their countermeasures data, but to also derive comprehensive, nuanced, and multidisciplinary insights regarding the health and performance informatics throughout a mission. The Multidisciplinary Analytics, Visualization, and Reporting Interface for Integrated Countermeasures (MAVRIIC) software seeks to establish a centralized approach to countermeasure data visualization that will facilitate a more holistic understanding of crew members' well-being and performance and enable the development of informed and autonomous decision-making support systems aligned with the evolving requirements of Exploration missions. The culmination of MAVRIIC phase 1 (end of FY23) marked the release of a full-stack, cloud-based ground tool displaying visualizations of in-flight exercise data, exercise ground testing, and exercise MEDB reports. Phase 2 of MAVRIIC (FY24) focuses on beginning the expansion of data contents to domains outside of exercise, including functional fitness, sensorimotor, food/nutrition, radiation, bone, and cardio/vision. Phase 3 and phase 4 will comprise enhanced analytics integration and initiation of flight tool development for infusion into the Artemis Program and eventually the Mars Transit Habitat.

Kent Lawrence Kalogera↗

NASA NTRS2024

Development of a Single Level Assessment Module for Simulating the Human Factors Concept Trade Space

This paper is a synopsis of the design and development of the Single Level Assessment Module (SLAM), a habitation mockup aimed at simulating volumetric conditions for astronauts in transit to Mars. Utilizing repurposed materials to enable low cost and constrained by various other design requirements from its parent vehicle, the SLAM embodies a critical step towards understanding human/habitat dynamics and interactions within the framework of the Mars Transit Habitat (TH) concept trade space. The synopsis begins by outlining the design constraints and goals, focusing on material availability and functional area volume requirements. Through various 3D design solutions, the SLAM emerges as a versatile habitat prototype, capable of accommodating various functional areas within its reconfigurable framework. The construction phase is then explored, highlighting the practical challenges and solutions encountered in assembling the SLAM's components. From panel assembly to outfitting functional areas, the construction process demonstrates a methodical approach to realizing the habitat's design intent. Looking ahead, the paper outlines future work, emphasizing the SLAM's adaptability for analysis and its potential to inform the design trade space future habitation concepts across the Moon to Mars architecture. By incorporating hinges for reconfigurability and facilitating volume assessments, the SLAM emerges as a crucial tool in advancing NASA’s ability to assess focused habitation configurations in conjunction with the development of the Moon to Mars architecture. In conclusion, this paper showcases the iterative process of habitat design, from conceptualization to construction.

Keith Lindsey↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Safe Haven Concept for the Common Habitat in Moon, Mars, and Transit Environments

The safe haven for the Common Habitat architectures, both the Deep Space Exploration Vehicle and the Moon/Mars surface basecamps, consists of the airlock, logistics modules, and in-space or surface pressurized rovers. These elements are repositioned to dock together and form a secondary habitable environment. The multiple elements that compose the safe haven and its ability to share utilities across docking ports give it multiple subsystem options to sustain the crew. In the safe haven configuration, the two logistics modules dock to the side hatches of the airlock outer chamber, one pressurized rover docks to the outermost airlock hatch, and the second pressurized rover docks to the first. This configuration provides no less than thirty days of habitation for the eight-person crew. It also allows the airlock inner chamber to be used for EVAs to both the exterior surface and the Common Habitat interior, which may have lost pressure during the event that triggered the need for a safe haven. These EVAs enable the crew to work to repair the habitat and restore habitation capability.

Base camp↗

NASA NTRS2019

Common Habitat for Long Duration Transit and Surface Operations

This concept is based on the Skylab II concept, which proposes using a SLS propellant tank as the primary structure of a habitat. Common Habitat takes this a step further, proposing an interior architecture that is equally viable as a lunar surface hab, transit hab, and Mars surface hab, thus enabling a single development to support all three long duration habitat roles. Common Habitat has been pursued by the PI and co-investigators at MSFC and other centers in a spare time / funding available basis, often with heavy student intern support. Student resources have developed preliminary concepts, but these models must be refined to reflect accurate vehicle subsystems, utilities, stowage, workstations, and other crew systems. This investigation applies NASA civil servant and contractor expertise to correct errors in the most recent student concepts in order to prepare them for future human-in-the-loop evaluations to determine the most viable configuration for a Common Habitat. In prior studies there was never an opportunity to trade both crew size and internal orientation. Prior work has been a series of point designs with inconsistent design constraints, making apples to apples comparisons impossible. The most recent student work produced CAD models of four habitat variants for future use in a trade study, but the student products contain model construction and geometry errors, inaccurate subsystems design and placement, and unrealistic structural elements and outfitting. These must be corrected before the models can be moved into a VR environment for humanin- the-loop testing. Through consultation with SMEs throughout the Agency, the fidelity of these designs will be upgraded to a level of quality sufficient to make a comparative analysis of crew size sensitivity and internal orientation. The product of this activity is four upgraded CAD models, each reflecting a different configuration of the Common Habitat. One is a horizontal configuration using the full length of the SLS LOX tank. One is a vertical configuration using the same tank dimensions. The third is a horizontal configuration using a truncated SLS LOX tank (half the barrel length). The fourth is a vertical configuration of the half-length SLS LOX tank.

Howard, Robert L.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Common Habitat for Long Duration Transit and Surface Operations

This concept is based on the Skylab II concept, which proposes using a SLS propellant tank as the primary structure of a habitat. Common Habitat takes this a step further, proposing an interior architecture that is equally viable as a lunar surface hab, transit hab, and Mars surface hab, thus enabling a single development to support all three long duration habitat roles. Common Habitat has been pursued by the PI and co- investigators at MSFC and other centers in a spare time / funding available basis, often with heavy student intern support. Student resources have developed preliminary concepts, but these models must be refined to reflect accurate vehicle subsystems, utilities, stowage, workstations, and other crew systems. This investigation applies NASA civil servant and contractor expertise to correct errors in the most recent student concepts in order to prepare them for future human-in-the-loop evaluations to determine the most viable configuration for a Common Habitat.

Howard, Robert L.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Common Habitat Deep Space Exploration Vehicle for Transit and Orbital Operations

When outfitted as a habitat, the SLS Core Stage Liquid Oxygen Tank is a pressure vessel that can be used to support human exploration in deep space. An exploration spacecraft can be constructed with this habitat, known as the Common Habitat, as its central element. More than just a transit vehicle, this spacecraft is a Deep Space Exploration Vehicle – a microgravity science laboratory capable of conducting research with onboard human crews throughout the inner solar system. Supplied with propellant by LEO depots, preliminary trajectory and v estimates indicate that the spacecraft can perform fly-by or orbital missions with trajectories close enough to the sun to intersect the orbit of Mercury or far enough away to fly by the main belt asteroid Vesta. Its primary mission, however, is to support human expeditions to Mars. Many, though not all, of the pressurized and unpressurized elements that compose the Deep Space Exploration Vehicle can also be used in surface base camps on the Moon and Mars. In additional to traditional space science disciplines, the spacecraft offers unique potential for small asteroid retrieval and for artificial gravity research. Three launches are used to deploy the spacecraft, but thirty-nine launches are used to deliver propellant to orbit to fully fuel the spacecraft for deep space missions. Key operations in a Mars crewed mission are described to illustrate how the vehicle is used and forward work is listed to mature the spacecraft concept.

Robert L. Howard Jr.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Internal Architecture of the Common Habitat

The core stage liquid oxygen tank of the Space Launch System can be manufactured as a habitat instead of as a propellant tank, with a common design such that it is equally suitable for use in 0g, 1/6g, 3/8g, 1g, or variable artificial gravity. It is capable of sustaining a crew size of eight for missions up to 1200 days in duration. This Common Habitat can be the central element of a human spaceflight architecture that encompasses the Moon, Mars, and other destinations within the inner solar system. Within this archtiecture, the Common Habitat is specifically used as the core habitation element within a Lunar Base Camp, Mars Base Camp, and the Deep Space Exploration Vehicle. The Common Habitat internal architecture applies a design philosophy to separate crew functions according to deck. The lower deck is reserved for private functions. It includes eight private crew quarters and four waste and hygiene clusters – each with a private waste management compartment, private full body hygiene compartment, and private foyer/clothes changing area. The mid deck is primarily allocated to mission-related functions. It includes an exercise facility, fabrication / maintenance / repair facility, physical science laboratory (physics, geology, and remote sensing: astronomy, heliophysics, planetary science, and Earth science), and life science laboratory (biology and human research). The mid deck also has four external hatches, clocked one every 90 degrees, centered on the vehicle vertical centerline. Each hatch has a 60-inch tall by 40-inch wide opening with the mid deck floor 16 inches below the bottom lip of the hatch opening. The upper deck also includes some mission functions, but is primarily allocated to social functions. It includes a large galley, wardroom with projector and display screen, plant growth chambers, bulk stowage, command and control station, medical facility, hygiene compartment, and vehicle subsystems.

Habitability↗