SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Crewed Mars Mission”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 19 records

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2025

Humans to Mars, but How Many? Trade Space Analyses for Mars Mission Crew Size

Missions to Mars will differ from previous human spaceflight missions in that the crew of astronauts will be required to operate in an Earth-independent manner due to the long communication delays. Without a systematic, repeatable process to determine the number and composition of crew necessary to successfully accomplish these missions, NASA increases the risk that crew sizes may be too small to meet primary mission objectives under nominal conditions and, more consequentially, that crewmembers may not have the expertise needed to successfully respond to unforeseen failures without the real-time expertise of the Mission Control Central (MCC) team NASA currently relies upon. The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) developed a methodology for assessing the trade space of factors that affect the number of crew for Mars missions based on human performance and expertise modeling. This methodology includes the consideration of results from three human performance models developed using the Improved Performance Research and Integration Tool (IMPRINT) modeling platform as well as a custom-built model on expertise trained within the crew based on NASA’s crew qualification and responsibilities matrix (CQRM). We present example model results and discuss implications on trade space analyses for Mars mission crew size.

Mars Mission↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Communication Delays, Disruptions, and Blackouts for Crewed Mars Missions

As NASA continues to develop the Moon2Mars campaign, there are a number of challenges that must be addressed to execute a successful crewed mission to Mars. One of those challenges is delays, disruptions, and blackouts that crew will experience during their mission to Mars, and that is the challenge evaluated in this paper. Our analysis showed that communication delays will vary from 0 to 22 minutes over the course of a mission, peaking while the crew is at or just departed from Mars. The disruptions occur in a similar time frame and can last for several days up to several months, depending on the solar disturbance sensitivity of the communication band being used. The delays and disruptions will have an impact on crewed Mars missions, and determining mitigations is future work to be informed by this analysis.

Katherine T McBrayer↗

NASA NTRS2023

Combined 1-MW Solar Electric and Chemical Propulsion for Crewed Mars Missions

The current Moon to Mars Architecture defines functional capabilities that are essential to achieving NASA’s specific exploration goals and objectives. The transportation system goals and objectives or functional capabilities do not prescribe a solution, leaving an open tradespace to be explored. NASA is working to identify power and propulsion technologies that enable feasible transportation options for crewed missions to Mars. During NASA’s Strategic Analysis Cycle 2021 (SAC21), nuclear enabled spacecraft concepts were analyzed for moderate duration 850-day Earth-Mars roundtrip mission2. During SAC22, the transportation tradespace was expanded to understand the feasibility of using different propulsion systems for crewed Mars missions using a moderate duration reference mission as a comparison point. This paper explores the mission analysis performed for a conceptual MW-class hybrid Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP)-chemical propulsion system (SEP-Chem) spacecraft optimized for an 850-day crewed Mars mission for the 2039 opportunity.

SEP-Chem↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Crewed Mars Mission Mode Options for Nuclear Electric/Chemical Hybrid Transportation System

NASA's Human Exploration and Operation Mission Directorate is continuing to study different concepts and options to field human Mars missions as part of NASA's Moon2Mars directive. For crewed missions to Mars, the transportation system sizing is highly dependent on the total mission duration, Mars orbit dwell time, mission concept of operations, and the chosen propulsion system. NASA has been investigating the use of low-thrust electric propulsion systems to augment high-thrust chemical propulsion system for crewed Mars mission to enable a more energy-efficient operations. Recent studies on these missions have focused on ``All-Up'' piloted mission modes in which the in-space transportation system for crew transit departs Earth with everything it needs for the roundtrip journey, with only the Mars landers and surface assets pre-deployed. This design choice was made to minimize the mission operation risk, as the crew could return safely to Earth in the event of a failure to rendezvous or other failure of any pre-deployed assets. As the Mars Architecture Team continues to investigate and understand the Mars mission trade space, alternate mission mode studies were conducted to understand their impact to the transportation system. These include pre-positioning return assets and discarding expended stages to reduce the overall system mass.

Patrick R Chai↗

NASA NTRS2023

Parametric Modeling of NTP Engine Performance for a Crewed Mars Mission

Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) has been studied extensively for use on a crewed mission to Mars, and NASA and DARPA are partnering in the development and demonstration of an NTP engine as part of the DRACO project. The specific impulse and thrust achieved by an engine in the context of a mission determines the propellant amount required to close the mission and the size of the vehicle required. An NTP engine has a slower start-up/shut-down transient than traditional chemical engines and requires post-firing cooling, and thus the average Isp for a burn is a function of the power ramp-up rate and the duration of the burn. An initial demonstration engine may target a lower Isp than the 900 sec that has been extensively studied by NASA. This paper shows the effect on the mission closure and vehicle sizing of the transient ramp rate performance and of lower than 900 sec specific impulse. Ammonia is considered as an alternate NTP propellant, with mission performance estimated.

NTP↗

NASA NTRS2013

A One-year, Short-Stay Crewed Mars Mission Using Bimodal Nuclear Thermal Electric Propulsion (BNTEP) - A Preliminary Assessment

A crewed mission to Mars poses a significant challenge in dealing with the physiological issues that arise with the crew being exposed to a near zero-gravity environment as well as significant solar and galactic radiation for such a long duration. While long surface stay missions exceeding 500 days are the ultimate goal for human Mars exploration, short round trip, short surface stay missions could be an important intermediate step that would allow NASA to demonstrate technology as well as study the physiological effects on the crew. However, for a 1-year round trip mission, the outbound and inbound hyperbolic velocity at Earth and Mars can be very large resulting in a significant propellant requirement for a high thrust system like Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP). Similarly, a low thrust Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) system requires high electrical power levels (10 megawatts electric (MWe) or more), plus advanced power conversion technology to achieve the lower specific mass values needed for such a mission. A Bimodal Nuclear Thermal Electric Propulsion (BNTEP) system is examined here that uses three high thrust Bimodal Nuclear Thermal Rocket (BNTR) engines allowing short departure and capture maneuvers. The engines also generate electrical power that drives a low thrust Electric Propulsion (EP) system used for efficient interplanetary transit. This combined system can help reduce the total launch mass, system and operational requirements that would otherwise be required for equivalent NEP or Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) mission. The BNTEP system is a hybrid propulsion concept where the BNTR reactors operate in two separate modes. During high-thrust mode operation, each BNTR provides 10's of kilo-Newtons of thrust at reasonably high specific impulse (Isp) of 900 seconds for impulsive transplanetary injection and orbital insertion maneuvers. When in power generation/EP mode, the BNTR reactors are coupled to a Brayton power conversion system allowing each reactor to generate 100's of kWe of electrical power to a very high Isp (3000 s) EP thruster system for sustained vehicle acceleration and deceleration in heliocentric space.

Burke, Laura M.↗

NASA NTRS2013

A One-year, Short-Stay Crewed Mars Mission Using Bimodal Nuclear Thermal Electric Propulsion (BNTEP) - A Preliminary Assessment

A crewed mission to Mars poses a signi cant challenge in dealing with the physiolog- ical issues that arise with the crew being exposed to a near zero-gravity environment as well as signi cant solar and galactic radiation for such a long duration. While long sur- face stay missions exceeding 500 days are the ultimate goal for human Mars exploration, short round trip, short surface stay missions could be an important intermediate step that would allow NASA to demonstrate technology as well as study the physiological e ects on the crew. However, for a 1-year round trip mission, the outbound and inbound hy- perbolic velocity at Earth and Mars can be very large resulting in a signi cant propellant requirement for a high thrust system like Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP). Similarly, a low thrust Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) system requires high electrical power lev- els (10 megawatts electric (MWe) or more), plus advanced power conversion technology to achieve the lower speci c mass values needed for such a mission. A Bimodal Nuclear Thermal Electric Propulsion (BNTEP) system is examined here that uses three high thrust Bimodal Nuclear Thermal Rocket (BNTR) engines allowing short departure and capture maneuvers. The engines also generate electrical power that drives a low thrust Electric Propulsion (EP) system used for ecient interplanetary transit. This combined system can help reduce the total launch mass, system and operational requirements that would otherwise be required for equivalent NEP or Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) mission. The BNTEP system is a hybrid propulsion concept where the BNTR reactors operate in two separate modes. During high-thrust mode operation, each BNTR provides 10's of kilo- Newtons of thrust at reasonably high speci c impulse (Isp) of 900 seconds for impulsive trans-planetary injection and orbital insertion maneuvers. When in power generation / EP mode, the BNTR reactors are coupled to a Brayton power conversion system allowing each reactor to generate 100's of kWe of electrical power to a very high Isp (3000 s) EP thruster system for sustained vehicle acceleration and deceleration in heliocentric space.

Burke, Laura A.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Integrated Crewed Mars Mission Analysis, Part II: The Trajectory Strikes Back

Crewed missions to Mars present a challenging problem involving strong interactions between a variety of spacecraft systems. Design and architecture decisions made by one system can have powerful implications for another. Siloed subsystem development and optimization efforts are unlikely to generate optimal results for the integrated system and may lead to counterproductive investments at the mission and system level. Mismatched assumptions between different subsystems can also negatively impact the final result. Integrated systems analysis, trade studies, and sensitivity analysis are a critical element of successful Mars mission design. Previous work examined the linkages between Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) loop closure, food water content, spares Probability of Sufficiency (POS), and other factors by performing an integrated mass and cost assessment of a variety of Mars habitat and transportation system designs. This paper expands upon that work by evaluating the impact of mission duration, trajectory, and propulsion technology alongside key habitat variables. Transportation system and trajectory design decisions have enormous impacts on overall system mass, and the impacts of those decisions are themselves sensitive to the mass of the habitat that is being transported. This paper examines a variety of mission cases and evaluates total departure mass for each case. An estimate of relative costs for specific cases is also provided. The results are discussed, with an emphasis on the sensitivity of mass, cost, and other figures of merit to key parameters. Interactions and dependencies between various decisions, particularly those that relate to technology investments, are also highlighted. Overall, the various elements, systems, and subsystems required to support human spaceflight should not be optimized and evaluated in isolation, but instead should be analyzed as part of an integrated system. This paper demonstrates how integrated analysis can improve system understanding and lead to more optimal and effective crewed exploration systems.

Human Spaceflight↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Integrated Crewed Mars Mission Analysis, Part II: The Trajectory Strikes Back

Human Spaceflight↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dynamic Anomaly Response and Integrated Analysis (DARIA): A Fault Investigation Toolset Supporting Earth-Independent Operations in Future Crewed Mars Missions

NASA's Moon to Mars Objectives outline a strategic vision for human spaceflight culminating in crewed missions to Mars. A critical component of this objective is the development of systems that are capable of being Earth-Independent Operated (EIO). A key aspect of EIO is the ability to rapidly detect, diagnose, and respond to anomalies in crew-supporting habitat and connected systems. To address this, the Dynamic Anomaly Response and Integrated Analysis (DARIA) architecture has been developed. DARIA incorporates a network of compact, wireless sensing devices called the System for Telemetry Amalgamation of Multimodal PrognosticS (STAMPS) for increased state awareness of EIO habitats. Able to perform on-the-fly data acquisition, STAMPS are connected to integrated anomaly data dashboards for crew visualization. DARIA is designed to seamlessly integrate into various off-world environments, including the International Space Station, Lunar Gateway, Artemis Base Camp, and future Mars habitats. By leveraging Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) hardware, the NASA Internet of Things (NASA IoT) framework, and EIO fault detection methods, DARIA provides a cost-effective and adaptable solution for anomaly detection and response in EIO habitats.

Diagnostics↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Hybrid NEP-Chemical Vehicle and Propulsion Technology Study for Crewed Mars Missions

Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) is a suite of technologies with the potential to enable crewed opposition-class missions to Mars. Each subsystem comprising an NEP system has multiple technology options that present tradeoffs in vehicle sizing and technology development risk. Multiple vehicle concepts have been studied in the past and are currently being studied at NASA. Three models have been developed to illustrate the impact of key technology parameters on overall sizing for a crewed Mars transportation vehicle. Vehicle mass required to close the mission as a function of NEP system alpha (kWe/kg) and specific impulse (Isp) is estimated with a detailed trajectory model. A power system mass model estimates alpha as a function of power and radiator mass assumption. A power conversion system thermodynamic model predicts the radiator area required to close a Brayton cycle power conversion system. Combined with the architecture mass required for mission closure, the radiator area and alpha model provide insight into how technology development may impact the mission. Our focus is on parametric sweeps of the whole design space rather than any particular point design. Results from the mission model comparing electric propulsion technology (Hall, Ion, Magnetoplasmadynamic) and both 2039 and 2042 opposition-class mission launch windows are included. The results of the study illustrate the technology parameters that can result in mission closure and illustrate where the architecture is sensitive to variations in technology performance or requirements.

Matthew Duchek↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Reference Surface Activities for Crewed Mars Mission Systems and Utilization

This presentation was made at the “COSPAR Planetary Protection Knowledge Gaps for Human Missions to Mars” virtual workshop. As the workshop title implies, the presentation is intended to explain basic features of current human Mars surface mission scenarios being analyzed by NASA. The specific scenario details described is documented in HEOMD-415 “Reference Surface Activities for Crewed Mars Mission Systems and Utilization.” Other workshop presentations will expand on details related to scientific investigations that could have planetary protection impacts.

Mars↗

NASA NTRS2017

Medical Systems Engineering to Support Mars Mission Crew Autonomy

Human spaceflight missions to Mars face exceptionally challenging resource limitations that far exceed those faced before. Increasing transit times, decreasing opportunity for resupply, communications challenges, and extended time to evacuate a crew to definitive medical care dictate a level of crew autonomy in medical care that is beyond the current medical model. To approach this challenge, a medical systems engineering approach is proposed that relies on a clearly articulated Concept of Operations and risk analysis tools that are in development at NASA. This paper proposes an operational clinical model with key terminology and concepts translated to a controls theory paradigm to frame a common language between clinical and engineering teams. This common language will be used for design and validation of an exploration medical system that is fully integrated into a Mars transit vehicle. This approach merges medical simulation, human factors evaluation techniques, and human-in-the-loop testing in ground based analogs to tie medical hardware and software subsystem performance and overall medical system functionality to metrics of operational medical autonomy. Merging increases in operational clinical autonomy with a more restricted vehicle system resource scenario in interplanetary spaceflight will require an unprecedented level of medical and engineering integration. Full integration of medical capabilities into a Mars vehicle system may require a new approach to integrating medical system design and operations into the vehicle Program structure. Prior to the standing-up of a Mars Mission Program, proof of concept is proposed through the Human Research Program.

Antonsen, Erik↗

NASA NTRS1986

Manned Mars mission crew factors

Crew factors include a wide range of concerns relating to the human system and its role in a Mars mission. There are two important areas which will play a large part in determining the crew for a Mars mission. The first relates to the goals and priorities determined for such a vast endeavor. The second is the design of the vehicle for the journey. The human system cannot be separated from the other systems in that vehicle. In fact it will be the human system which drives the development of many of the technical breakthroughs necessary to make a Mars mission successful. As much as possible, the engineering systems must adapt to the needs of the human system and its individual components.

Santy, Patricia A.↗

NASA NTRS2022

Reference Surface Activities for Crewed Mars Mission Systems and Utilization

This document details constraints and considerations in planning daily activity timelines for crewed exploration on Mars. This work was done for the purpose of estimating how much time during each Martian day (hereafter referred to as a sol) might be available for exploration activities, (also referred to as utilization activities in this document), after accounting for crew and equipment care. These results become part of the factors taken into consideration as specific goals and objectives are assembled into a mission plan.

Stephen J Hoffman↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Investigating the Applications of In-Situ Resource Utilization for Future Crewed Mars Missions

Several advancements are necessary before humans can safely explore Mars. One emerging strategy is In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU): the process of extracting raw materials found onsite and converting them into usable products to ensure a constant flow of vital resources and greatly reduce overall mission cost. Scientists must confirm the presence and accessibility of these resources for future crewed missions. Our team investigated the feasibility of ISRU in NE Syrtis, a region of Mars with varied geology, mineralogy, and hydrological history. NE Syrtis has abundant subsurface water and a diverse suite of mineral deposits including olivine, phyllosilicates, sulfates, and carbonates–all of which can be leveraged for fuel, medical supplies, and/or construction materials. We conceptualized a joint rover and helicopter expedition to analyze and sample these minerals over a two-year primary mission using Java Mission-planning and Analysis for Remote Sensing (JMARS), Planetary Data Systems (PDS), and Computer-Aided Design (CAD). We plotted a strategic traverse to regions of interest identified from remote sensing data and planned operations at each target. Our mission aimed to prepare for human presence on Mars by demonstrating the utility and viability of ISRU-focused operations.

Zahra M. Ronizi↗

NASA NTRS2023

Robotic and Crewed Mars Missions Increasing the Demand for Planetary Protection Technology Needs

Planetary protection (PP) policy seeks to avoid harmful contamination by limiting biological and relevant organic contamination from spacecraft as well as preventing adverse changes to Earth’s biosphere when extraterrestial samples are brought back to Earth. The PP policy at NASA was updated in 2021 (NPR 8715.24) and 2022 (NASA-STD-8719.27) to enable missions by expanding the decades old prescriptive requirements to allow for an option of adopting performance-based requirements that are objectivesdriven, risk-informed and case-assured. In parallel, the final PP knowledge gap workshop was completed representing the international consensus on the key areas to be considered in developing crew PP policy. These knowledge gaps focused on key technology development areas in 1) microbial and human health monitoring, 2) technical and operations needed for contamination control and 3) natural transport of contamination on Mars. As robotic missions start to implement performance-based approaches and research and technology efforts commence to inform crew policy the demand for data quality driven verification and validation in relevant space environments. Examples of the types of testing that is envisioned includes test as you fly validation and verification of decontamination systems in a relevant on-orbit and Mars environment, developing lethality curves of terrestrial organisms to further our understanding of the biocidal impacts of Mars and the space environment, and particle transport model validation and verification. Thus, the PP discipline has identified the need for groundbased space environments to perform preliminary testing as validation and verification of flight systems and to advance the technology readiness level prior to further testing on-orbit or lunar environments to prepare for Mars.

J. Nick Benardini↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Robotic and Crewed Mars Missions Increasing the Demand for Planetary Protection Technology Needs

Planetary protection (PP) policy seeks to avoid harmful contamination by limiting biological and relevant organic contamination from spacecraft as well as preventing adverse changes to Earth’s biosphere when extraterrestrial samples are brought back to Earth. The PP policy at NASA was updated in 2021 (NPR 8715.24) and 2022 (NASA-STD-8719.27) to enable missions by expanding the decades old prescriptive requirements to allow for an option of adopting performance-based requirements that are objectives-driven, risk-informed and case-assured. In parallel, the final PP knowledge gap workshop was completed representing the international consensus on the key areas to be considered in developing crew PP policy. These knowledge gaps focused on key technology development areas in 1) microbial and human health monitoring, 2) technical and operations needed for contamination control and 3) natural transport of contamination on Mars. As robotic missions start to implement performance-based approaches and research and technology efforts commence to inform crew policy the demand for data quality driven verification and validation in relevant space environments. Examples of the types of testing that is envisioned includes test as you fly validation and verification of decontamination systems in a relevant on-orbit and Mars environment, developing lethality curves of terrestrial organisms to further our understanding of the biocidal impacts of Mars and the space environment, and particle transport model validation and verification. Thus, the PP discipline has identified the need for ground-based space environments to perform preliminary testing as validation and verification of flight systems and to advance the technology readiness level prior to further testing on-orbit or lunar environments to prepare for Mars.

J Nick Benardini↗