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This viewgraph is a printout of a presentation which originally contained multimedia components. The presentation summarizes the accomplishments of the Cassini-Huygens mission, with numerous images and video clips of Saturn, its rings, and its moons. The presentation also summarizes a feasibility analysis of the Neptune-Triton Explorer (NExTEP).
Terminal Descent Radars (TDR), or landing radars, have been an integral element of Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN\&C) sensor suites of robotic exploration missions to the Moon and Mars. As plans for new, exciting exploration missions to the Moon, Mars and other planetary bodies are being developed, there is a need for a new generation of TDRs that are smaller, consume less power and are less expensive than previous sensors. The challenge of designing such a landing sensor is twofold: the first is to have well-vetted software tools that allow us to explore the design space for a particular mission scenario and analyze performance of relevant radar architectures. The second challenge is to reduce mass and power requirements of a landing radar without compromising reliability and performance. New design approaches that address these challenges need to be tested and demonstrated in realistic Entry-Descent-Landing (EDL)/Deorbit-Descent-Landing (DDL) scenarios. In this paper, we describe a TDR testbed developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The testbed is a closed-loop design, analysis and verification capability used to design and evaluate the next generation of landing radars for a variety of EDL/DDL scenarios.
Terminal Descent Radars (TDR), or landing radars, have been an integral element of Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN\&C) sensor suites of robotic exploration missions to the Moon and Mars. As plans for new, exciting exploration missions to the Moon, Mars and other planetary bodies are being developed, there is a need for a new generation of TDRs that are smaller, consume less power and are less expensive than previous sensors. The challenge of designing such a landing sensor is twofold: the first is to have well-vetted software tools that allow us to explore the design space for a particular mission scenario and analyze performance of relevant radar architectures. The second challenge is to reduce mass and power requirements of a landing radar without compromising reliability and performance. New design approaches that address these challenges need to be tested and demonstrated in realistic Entry-Descent-Landing (EDL)/Deorbit-Descent-Landing (DDL) scenarios. In this paper, we describe a TDR testbed developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The testbed is a closed-loop design, analysis and verification capability used to design and evaluate the next generation of landing radars for a variety of EDL/DDL scenarios.
In the fourth quarter of 2009 an in-house, multi-center NASA study team briefly examined "Flexible Path" concepts to begin understanding characteristics, content, and roles of potential missions consistent with the strategy proposed by the Augustine Committee. We present an overview of the study findings. Three illustrative human/robotic mission concepts not requiring planet surface operations are described: assembly of very large in-space telescopes in cis-lunar space; exploration of near Earth objects (NEOs); exploration of Mars' moon Phobos. For each, a representative mission is described, technology and science objectives are outlined, and a basic mission operations concept is quantified. A fourth type of mission, using the lunar surface as preparation for Mars, is also described. Each mission's "capability legacy" is summarized. All four illustrative missions could achieve NASA's stated human space exploration objectives and advance human space flight toward Mars surface exploration. Telescope assembly missions would require the fewest new system developments. NEO missions would offer a wide range of deep-space trip times between several months and two years. Phobos exploration would retire several Marsclass risks, leaving another large remainder set (associated with entry, descent, surface operations, and ascent) for retirement by subsequent missions. And extended lunar surface operations would build confidence for Mars surface missions by addressing a complementary set of risks. Six enabling developments (robotic precursors, ISS exploration testbed, heavy-lift launch, deep-space-capable crew capsule, deep-space habitat, and reusable in-space propulsion stage) would apply across multiple program sequence options, and thus could be started even without committing to a specific mission sequence now. Flexible Path appears to be a viable strategy, with meaningful and worthy mission content.
This study developed, analyzed, and compared mission architectures for human exploration of Mars' Moons within the context of an Evolvable Mars Campaign. METHODS: All trades assumed conjunction class missions to Phobos (approximately 500 days in Mars system) as it was considered the driving case for the transportation architecture. All architectures assumed that the Mars Transit Habitat would remain in a High Mars Orbit with crewmembers transferring between HMO and Phobos in a small crew taxi vehicle. A reference science / exploration program was developed including performance of a standard set of tasks at 55 locations on the Phobos surface. Detailed EVA timelines were developed using realistic flight rules to accomplish the reference science tasks using exploration systems ranging from jetpacks to multi-person pressurized excursion vehicles combined with Phobos surface and orbital (L1, L4/L5, 20km Distant Retrograde Orbit) habitat options. Detailed models of propellant mass, crew time, science productivity, radiation exposure, systems and consumables masses, and other figures of merit were integrated to enable quantitative comparison of different architectural options. Options for pre-staging assets using solar electric propulsion (SEP) vs. delivering all systems with the crew were also evaluated. Seven discrete mission architectures were evaluated. RESULTS: The driving consideration for habitat location (Phobos surface vs. orbital) was radiation exposure, with an estimated reduction in cumulative mission radiation exposure of up to 34% (vs. Mars orbital mission) when the habitat is located on the Phobos surface, compared with only 3-6% reduction for a habitat in a 20km DRO. The exploration utility of lightweight unpressurized excursion vehicles was limited by the need to remain within 20 minutes of Solar Particle Event radiation protection combined with complex GN&C systems required by the non-intuitive and highly-variable gravitational environment. Two-person pressurized excursion vehicles as well as mobile surface habitats offer significant exploration capability and operational benefits compared with unpressurized EVA mobility systems at the cost of increased system and propellant mass. Mechanical surface translation modes (i.e. hopping) were modeled and offer potentially significant propellant savings and the possibility of extended exploration operations between crewed missions. Options for extending the utilization of the crew taxi vehicle were examined, including use as an exploration asset for Phobos surface exploration (when combined with an alternate mobility system) and as an EVA platform, both on Phobos and for contingency EVA on the Mars Transit Habitat. CONCLUSIONS: Human exploration of Phobos offers a scientifically meaningful first step towards human Mars surface missions that develops and validates transportation, habitation, and exploration systems and operations in advance of the Mars landing systems.
Sustainable missions, beyond low Earth orbit, will require autonomous capabilities in order to achieve NASA’s Artemis program objectives. Correspondingly, the crew must have a means to efficiently interact with these autonomous systems; this can be facilitated via voice and speech communications. Voice-based controls enable the user to access autonomous systems hands-free/eyes-free, allowing the user to better focus on critical tasks. The goal of this project was to explore the knowledge and technology needed to successfully design effective voice interfaces for autonomous systems. The main objective was to understand how a crew member, through voice interaction, could most efficiently and intuitively communicate with a notional autonomous vehicle system manager. This project leveraged prior research conducted by the University of Michigan’s Bioastronautics and Life Support System (BLiSS) team as part of a NASA Moon to Mars eXploration Systems and Habitation (M2M X-Hab) 2020 Academic Innovation Challenge. The X-Hab 2020 work from the BliSS Team resulted in an intuitive graphical user interface/user experience that was built on an Internet of Things (IOT) platform. The Voice User Interface (VUI) design for the M2M X-Hab 2021 project leveraged this technology and incorporated a voice-based assistant and NASA’s Platform for Autonomous Systems (NPAS) software. This required technologies to convert voice to text, conduct semantic interpretations, and convert responses from the autonomous system to text and to speech; additionally, the background noise environment of spacecraft was assessed, and a relatable personality for the autonomous system to facilitate human-like conversations was created. This work’s success was largely due to the diverse team that included expertise in Space Systems Engineering, Human Computer Interaction, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, and Applied Physics. The differing perspectives fostered elaborate discussions, resulting in the conception of three main interactions: (1) User-System, (2) NPAS-System, and (3) Environment-System. The system developed, i.e. the VUI, had to be unique, efficient, and intuitive; thus, the team crafted a personality for the system to enable human-like conversation. User surveys sent to students and young professionals were used to help determine these personality traits by capturing perspectives and expectations of the “Artemis Generation Astronauts”. To further simulate human-like conversations, the system had to be able to quickly interpret user speech and be able to integrate with NASA’s NPAS system for quick and reliable information transfer. Results of this research include (1) a working prototype user interface, that is compatible with NASA’s NPAS system; (2) software that demonstrates the ability to interpret user requests and respond appropriately; (3) the capability to implement fully expanded conversations between user and system using intuitive communication in four request categories; and (4) software and hardware recommendations that optimize the system’s ability to operate, i.e. be heard, in a noisy environment. The technologies chosen for this project’s demonstrations included the following: Raspberry Pi, RASA, Mozilla Deep Speech, Coqui, RTX Voice and Adobe XD. This work has laid the foundation for the development of VUI’s used for autonomy, and is intended to provide guidance for future VUI development.
Ionizing radiation exposure is a pervasive occupational risk to astronauts and remains a major health risk associated with human exploration beyond low-Earth-orbit. Sustained lunar and Mars exploration crew will be at increased risk of radiogenic cancers and cardiovascular disease, as well as, the potential for in-mission performance decrements, immune system decrements, and late neurodegenerative conditions impacting crew health. Optimizing astronaut space radiation protection will incorporate both physical and biological radiological aspects and will implement protection strategies that span pre-mission, in-flight, and post mission timelines. Major facets of physical risk mitigation include accuracy in predicting the space radiation solar environment, monitoring environmental and human exposures, and minimizing exposure through vehicle shielding and design. Biological mitigation facets include understanding and predicting biological response to the space environment, developing advanced medical countermeasures, and identifying appropriate surveillance strategies to preserve long-term health. Coordinated investments in these major capability areas will support development of an integrated radiation protection solution to minimize astronaut risk for moon to Mars exploration missions.
The sustainable missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) envisioned for NASA’s Artemis program will require autonomous capabilities. Moreover, Artemis mission crews will need a means to efficiently interact with a spacecraft’s autonomous systems. This interaction can be facilitated by voice and speech communications because voice-based controls enable users to interact hands- and eyes-free, allowing the user to better focus on critical tasks. The goal of our project was to explore the knowledge and technology needed to successfully design effective Voice User Interfaces (VUIs) for autonomous systems utilizing Human Centered Design (HCD) principles. The focus of the human factors’ aspect of engineering, pays close attention to psychological and physiological principles in the development of autonomous crew operation systems. A main objective was to understand how a crew member, through voice interaction, could efficiently and intuitively communicate with a notional autonomous vehicle system manager. This project was a part of the NASA Moon to Mars eXploration Systems and Habitation (M2M X-Hab) 2020 Academic Innovation Challenge. The work from the BLiSS Team, at the University of Michigan, resulted in the design of a system persona, Diego, to which an astronaut may quickly build trust with autonomous systems, to alleviate known stressors on mental health expected during long duration space missions. Optimal software to facilitate integration of the system persona into a reference Lunar orbiting Gateway station was defined. Additionally, a Speech to Text (STT) system and a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that could be implemented in future missions was developed on an Internet of Things (IOT) platform. The Voice User Interface (VUI) design for the M2M X-Hab 2020 project leveraged previous technology developed by the BLiSS team to incorporate a voice-based interface into NASA’s Platform for Autonomous Systems (NPAS) software. This required technologies to convert voice to text, conduct semantic interpretations, and convert responses from the autonomous system to text and to speech; additionally, the spacecraft background noise environment was assessed, a noise mitigation technique was developed, and a relatable personality for the autonomous system was developed in order to facilitate human-like conversations. The success of our effort was largely due to the diversity of the team that included expertise in Space Systems Engineering, Human Computer Interaction, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, and Applied Physics. The diverse perspectives fostered elaborate discussions, resulting in the conception of three main subsystems: (1) User-System, (2) NPAS-System, and (3) Environment-System. The VUI was unique and had to be efficient and intuitive. For this project, 5 subteams were formed, each with a separate objective, Voice Design team, Background Noise Mitigation team, Software Integration team and Graphical User Interface team. The BLiSS team crafted a personality for the VUI to enable human-like conversation and drive user adoption and trust. User surveys were completed and used to help determine the required VUI system personality traits by capturing perspectives and expectations of prospective “Artemis Generation Astronauts”. To further simulate human-like conversations, the system had to be able to quickly interpret user speech and be able to integrate with NASA’s NPAS platform for quick and reliable information transfer. The outcomes of our research were: (1) a working prototype user interface, that is compatible with NASA’s NPAS platform; (2) software that demonstrates the ability of the VUI system to interpret user requests and respond appropriately; (3) the capability to implement fully expanded conversations between user and system using intuitive communication in four request categories; and (4) software and hardware recommendations that optimize the system’s ability to operate in a noisy environment. Our research has laid the foundation for the development of VUI’s for autonomy, and provides a baseline for future VUI developments.
In June 2004, NASA announced a new vision for the further exploration of the Moon and Mars. The vision includes a long-term human and robotic program to explore the solar system, starting with a return to the Moon that will ultimately enable future exploration of Mars and other destinations. Inherent in this endeavor is the need to transfer the communication technology developed for lunar missions to deep space whenever possible. Furthermore, greater data throughput on the uplink will be required for future nominal operations for the Exploration missions given their highly interactive nature and the need to send files in both directions. Therefore, it is prudent for standards bodies i.e., CCSDS to develop the underlying communication recommendations necessary to deliver greater data throughput to meet future agencies' needs.
On January 14, 2004, the President of the United States unveiled a new vision for robotic and human exploration of space entitled, "A Renewed Spirit of Discovery". As stated by the President in the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE), NASA must "... implement a sustained and affordable human and robotic program to explore the solar system and beyond " and ".. .develop new technologies and harness the moon's abundant resources to allow manned exploration of more challenging environments." A key to fulfilling the goal of sustained and affordable human and robotic exploration will be the ability to use resources that are available at the site of exploration to "live off the land" instead of bringing everything from Earth, known as In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). ISRU can significantly reduce the mass, cost, and risk of exploration through capabilities such as: mission consumable production (propellants, fuel cell reagents, life support consumables, and feedstock for manufacturing & construction); surface construction (radiation shields, landing pads, walls, habitats, etc.); manufacturing and repair with in-situ resources (spare parts, wires, trusses, integrated systems etc.); and space utilities and power from space resources. On January 27th, 2004 the President's Commission on Implementation of U.S. Space Exploration Policy (Aldridge Committee) was created and its final report was released in June 2004. One of the report's recommendations was to establish special project teams to evaluate enabling technologies, of which "Planetary in situ resource utilization" was one of them. Based on the VSE and the commission's final report, NASA established fifteen Capability Roadmap teams, of which ISRU was one of the teams established. From Oct. 2004 to May 2005 the ISRU Capability Roadmap team examined the capabilities, benefits, architecture and mission implementation strategy, critical decisions, current state-of-the-art (SOA), challenges, technology gaps, and risks of ISRU for future human Moon and Mars exploration. This presentation will provide an overview of the ISRU capability, architecture, and implementation strategy examined by the ISRU Capability Roadmap team, along with a top-level review of ISRU benefits, resources and products of interest, and the current SOA in ISRU processes and systems. The presentation will also highlight the challenges of incorporating ISRU into future missions and the gaps in technologies and capabilities that need to be filled to enable ISRU.
I.Current key activities: a) Constellation Level2-System Engineering. b) Lunar Architecture Team (LAT)2-technology assessment and architectural option for the lander. c) Mars Architecture Team-system engineering support, Science integration, precursor program planning. d) Lunar Lander Project Core Team-GN&C and Flight system engineering. e) Technology program-supporting multiple projects in robotics, power systems, aero entry technology. f) Mission Operation Project-Mission operations system engineering. g) Advanced Environmental Monitoring Instruments. H. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter instrument (Diviner). II. Mission Proposals a) Lunar Sample return. b) Lunar Gravity field mapper.
The 2005 NASA Seal/Secondary Air System workshop covered the following topics: (i) Overview of NASA s new Exploration Initiative program aimed at exploring the Moon, Mars, and beyond; (ii) Overview of the NASA-sponsored Propulsion 21 Project; (iii) Overview of NASA Glenn s seal project aimed at developing advanced seals for NASA s turbomachinery, space, and reentry vehicle needs; (iv) Reviews of NASA prime contractor, vendor, and university advanced sealing concepts including tip clearance control, test results, experimental facilities, and numerical predictions; and (v) Reviews of material development programs relevant to advanced seals development. Turbine engine studies have shown that reducing high-pressure turbine (HPT) blade tip clearances will reduce fuel burn, lower emissions, retain exhaust gas temperature margin, and increase range. Several organizations presented development efforts aimed at developing faster clearance control systems and associated technology to meet future engine needs. The workshop also covered several programs NASA is funding to develop technologies for the Exploration Initiative and advanced reusable space vehicle technologies. NASA plans on developing an advanced docking and berthing system that would permit any vehicle to dock to any on-orbit station or vehicle. Seal technical challenges (including space environments, temperature variation, and seal-on-seal operation) as well as plans to develop the necessary "androgynous" seal technologies were reviewed. Researchers also reviewed tests completed for the shuttle main landing gear door seals.
The 2006 NASA Seal/Secondary Air System workshop covered the following topics: (i) Overview of NASA s new Exploration Initiative program aimed at exploring the Moon, Mars, and beyond; (ii) Overview of NASA s new fundamental aeronautics technology project; (iii) Overview of NASA Glenn Research Center s seal project aimed at developing advanced seals for NASA s turbomachinery, space, and reentry vehicle needs; (iv) Reviews of NASA prime contractor, vendor, and university advanced sealing concepts including tip clearance control, test results, experimental facilities, and numerical predictions; and (v) Reviews of material development programs relevant to advanced seals development. Turbine engine studies have shown that reducing seal leakages as well as high-pressure turbine (HPT) blade tip clearances will reduce fuel burn, lower emissions, retain exhaust gas temperature margin, and increase range. Several organizations presented development efforts aimed at developing faster clearance control systems and associated technology to meet future engine needs. The workshop also covered several programs NASA is funding to develop technologies for the Exploration Initiative and advanced reusable space vehicle technologies. NASA plans on developing an advanced docking and berthing system that would permit any vehicle to dock to any on-orbit station or vehicle. Seal technical challenges (including space environments, temperature variation, and seal-on-seal operation) as well as plans to develop the necessary "androgynous" seal technologies were reviewed. Researchers also reviewed seal technologies employed by the Apollo command module that serve as an excellent basis for seals for NASA s new Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV).
The 2004 NASA Seal/Secondary Air System workshop covered the following topics: (1) Overview of NASA s new Exploration Initiative program aimed at exploring the Moon, Mars, and beyond; (2) Overview of the NASA-sponsored Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) program; (3) Overview of NASA Glenn s seal program aimed at developing advanced seals for NASA s turbomachinery, space, and reentry vehicle needs; (4) Reviews of NASA prime contractor and university advanced sealing concepts including tip clearance control, test results, experimental facilities, and numerical predictions; and (5) Reviews of material development programs relevant to advanced seals development. The NASA UEET overview illustrated for the reader the importance of advanced technologies, including seals, in meeting future turbine engine system efficiency and emission goals. For example, the NASA UEET program goals include an 8- to 15-percent reduction in fuel burn, a 15-percent reduction in CO2, a 70-percent reduction in NOx, CO, and unburned hydrocarbons, and a 30-dB noise reduction relative to program baselines. The workshop also covered several programs NASA is funding to develop technologies for the Exploration Initiative and advanced reusable space vehicle technologies. NASA plans on developing an advanced docking and berthing system that would permit any vehicle to dock to any on-orbit station or vehicle, as part of NASA s new Exploration Initiative. Plans to develop the necessary mechanism and androgynous seal technologies were reviewed. Seal challenges posed by reusable re-entry space vehicles include high-temperature operation, resiliency at temperature to accommodate gap changes during operation, and durability to meet mission requirements.
With exciting new Agency plans for a sustainable return to the moon, astronauts will once again leave earth’s protective magnetosphere only to endure higher levels of radiation from galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and the possibility of a large solar particle event (SPE). Gateway, lunar landers, and surface habitats will be designed to protect crew against SPE’s with vehicle optimization, storm shelter concepts, and/or active dosimetry; however, the ever-penetrating GCR will continue to pose the most significant health risks especially as lunar missions increase in duration and as NASA sets its aspirations on Mars. The primary risks of concern include epithelial carcinogenesis and leukemia, central nervous system effects resulting in potential in-mission cognitive or behavioral impairment and/or late neurological disorders, degenerative tissue effects including cataracts, circulatory and heart disease, as well as, potential immune system decrements impacting multiple aspects of crew health. Characterization and mitigation of these risks requires a significant reduction in the large biological uncertainties of chronic (low-dose rate) heavy ion exposures and the validation of countermeasures in a relevant space environment. NASA has developed the “GCR Simulator” at Brookhaven National Laboratory to generate a spectrum of ion beams that approximates the primary and secondary GCR field experienced at human organ locations within a deep-space vehicle. The majority of the dose is delivered from protons (~65-75%) and alpha particles (~10-20%) with heavier ions (Z≤3) contributing the remainder. The “GCR Simulator” exposes state-of-the art cellular and animal model systems to 33 sequential beams including 4 proton energies plus degrader, 4 helium energies plus degrader, and the five heavy ions of C, O, Si, Ti, and Fe. A polyethylene degrader is used with the 100 MeV/n H and He beams to provide a nearly continuous distribution of low energy particles. A 500 mGy exposure, delivering doses from each of the 33 beams, requires 75-90 minutes. To more closely simulate the low dose rates found in space, sequential field exposures can be divided into daily fractions over 2-4 weeks, with individual fractions as low as 0.1-0.2 mGy. In the large beam configuration (60 x 60 cm(exp 2)), 54 special housing cages can accommodate 2-3 mice each for a 70-75 min duration or ~15 individually housed rats. Emerging research results from our 2018 runs utilizing mixed heavy ion fields and protracted space exposures are forthcoming and deepen our understanding of the numerous health risks faced by our astronauts. This paper discusses NASA’s innovative technology solution for a ground-based GCR simulator at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory to enable future exploration missions.
The paper describes the Nuclear Thermal Energy (NTRE) engine, developed by taking advantage of mature fuel technology developed in the former Soviet Union, thus shortening the development schedule of this engine for moon and Mars explorations. The near-term NTRE engine has a number of features that provide safety, mission performance, cost, and risk benefits. These include: (1) high-temperature long-life CIS fuel, (2) high-pressure recuperated expander cycle, (3) assured restart, (4) long-life cooled nozzle with thin inner wall, (5) long-life turbopumps, (6) heat radiation and electrical power generation, and (7) component integration synergy. Diagrams of the reactor core, the recuperated bottoming cycle flow schematic, and the recuperated bottoming cycle engine schematic are presented.
This folder contains working papers collected to date on a NASA-sponsored history project to document the events leading up to the July 20, 1989 speech setting forth the objectives of the Space Exploration Initiative. Included are a chronology of events, briefing papers produced by the NASA Working Group laying out proposal, briefing charts used to present the proposal, a copy of the President's speech, and an essay summarizing the events that led up to the announcement. Additionally, two fo the interviews conducted as part of the project are enclosed.
Intelligent systems are nature-inspired, mathematically sound, computationally intensive problem solving tools and methodologies that have become important for NASA's future roles in Aeronautics and Space Exploration. Intelligent systems will enable safe, cost and mission-effective approaches to air& control, system design, spacecraft autonomy, robotic space exploration and human exploration of Moon, Mars, and beyond. In this talk, we will discuss intelligent system technologies and expand on the role of intelligent systems in NASA's missions. We will also present several examples of which some are highlighted m this extended abstract.