Ares V: Application to solar system scientific exploration

Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 2009

NASA has examined the feasibility of sending the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) to near-Earth objects (NEOs) during the next decade and beyond as part of its future Human Space Flight program. Piloted missions to NEOs using the CEV would undoubtedly provide a great deal of technical and engineering data on spacecraft operations for future human space exploration while conducting in-depth scientific investigations of these primitive objects. A crewed vehicle would be able to test several different sample collection techniques and target specific areas of interest via extra-vehicular activities (EVAs) more efficiently than robotic spacecraft. Such capabilities greatly enhance the scientific return from these missions to NEOs, destinations vital to understanding the evolution and thermal histories of primitive bodies during the formation of the early Solar System. The data collected would help constrain the suite of materials possibly delivered to the early Earth, and would identify potential source regions from which NEOs originate. In addition, the resulting scientific investigations would refine designs for future extraterrestrial resource extraction and utilization, and assist in the development of hazard mitigation techniques for planetary defense.

2007

This paper proposes and discusses the use of a biomimetic approach to conceive and design novel advanced space technological systems. The paper analyses the different phases of space missions, namely launch, parking, transfer, landing and exploration, and investigates possible advantages of a biomimetic approach for each of them. Bio-inspired technologies currently used in the space field are pointed out and new biomimetic concepts are proposed to conceive new space systems and subsystems both for the shortand long-term future.

Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, 2006

Significant technology advances have enabled planetary aircraft to be considered as viable science platforms. Such systems fill a unique planetary science measurement gap, that of regional-scale, near-surface observation, while providing a fresh perspective for potential discovery. Recent efforts have produced mature mission and flight system concepts, ready for flight project implementation. This paper summarizes the development of a Mars airplane mission architecture that balances science, implementation risk and cost. Airplane mission performance, flight system design and technology maturation are described. The design, analysis and testing completed demonstrates the readiness of this science platform for use in a Mars flight project. Nomenclature C 3 = launch injection energy, (km/s) 2 L s = solar longitude, deg LTST = local true solar time, hr

AIAA SPACE 2010 Conference & Exposition, 2010

We characterize mission profiles for human expeditions to near-Earth asteroids, Venus, and Mars. Near-Earth objects (NEOs) are the closest destinations beyond cis-lunar space and present a compelling target with capabilities already under development by NASA and its partners. We present manned NEO mission options that would require between 90 days and one year. We next consider planetary flyby missions for Venus along the lines of plans that were first drafted during the Apollo program for human exploration of Venus. We also characterize a Mars flyby, and a double-flyby variant that would include close passes to both Venus and Mars. Finally, we consider orbital missions to Venus and Mars with capability for rendezvous with Phobos or Deimos. This would be a truly new class of mission for astronauts and could serve as a precursor to a human landing on Mars. We present launch opportunities, transit time, requisite ΔV, and approximate radiation environment parameters for each mission class. We find that ΔV requirements for each class of mission match near-term chemical propulsion system capabilities. Nomenclature AU = Astronomical Unit, or Earth-Sun Distance C3 = Characteristic energy (km 2 /s 2) ΔV = Delta-V, change in velocity (km/s) LEO =

2016

The Formulation Assessment and Support Team (FAST) for the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) was a two-month effort, chartered by NASA, to provide timely inputs for mission requirement formulation in support of the Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM) Requirements Closure Technical Interchange Meeting (TIM) held December 15-16, 2015. Additionally, the FAST was tasked with developing an initial list of potential mission investigations and providing input on potential hosted payloads and partnerships. The FAST explored several aspects of potential science benefits and knowledge gain from the ARM. Expertise from the science, engineering, and technology communities was represented in exploring lines of inquiry related to key characteristics of the ARRM reference target asteroid (2008 EV5) for engineering design purposes. Specific areas of interest included target origin, spatial distribution and size of boulders, surface geotechnical properties, boulder physical properties, and considerations for boulder handling, crew safety, and containment. In order to increase knowledge gain potential from the mission, opportunities for partnerships and accompanying payloads were also investigated. This report and associated public comments will be used to support mission requirements formulation and serve as an initial inquiry to the science and engineering communities relating to the characteristics of the ARRM reference target asteroid. This report also provides a suggested list of potential investigations sorted and grouped based on their likely benefit to ARM and potential relevance to NASA science and exploration goals. These potential investigations could be conducted to reduce mission risks and increase knowledge return in the areas of science, planetary defense, asteroid resources and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), and capability and technology demonstrations. Participation in the FAST by non-civil service personnel was limited to providing non-consensus, non-voting input. This report represents the FAST's final product for the ARM. The ARM consists of two mission segments: 1) the ARRM, which will be the first robotic mission to visit a large (greater than ~100 m diameter) near-Earth asteroid (NEA), collect a multi-ton boulder and regolith from its surface, use the boulder to perform an enhanced gravity tractor asteroid deflection demonstration, and then transport the asteroidal material to a stable orbit around the Moon; and 2) the Asteroid Redirect Crewed Mission (ARCM), in which astronauts will explore the boulder and return samples to Earth. NASA originally proposed a robotic mission concept to capture an entire small asteroid (4-10 m in size) that would leverage several key ongoing activities in human exploration, space technology, and planetary defense. Subsequently, an alternate approach to collect a boulder from a large asteroid was also proposed. NASA evaluated both mission approaches to determine their feasibility, identify the important differences between them, and evaluate the key risks and figures of merit for each concept. On March 25, 2015, NASA announced the selection of the boulder capture option for the robotic segment of ARM. The ARRM is planned to launch at the end of 2020 and the ARCM is planned for late 2025. To achieve its long-term goal of sending humans to Mars, NASA plans to proceed in a series of incrementally more complex human spaceflight missions. Today, human flight experience extends only to Low Earth Orbit (LEO); should problems arise during a mission, the crew can return to Earth in a matter of minutes to hours. The next logical step for human spaceflight is to gain flight experience in the vicinity of the Moon. These cis-lunar missions will provide a "proving ground" for the testing of systems and operations while still accommodating an emergency return path to the Earth that would last only several days. Cis-lunar mission experience will be essential for more ambitious human missions beyond the Earth-Moon neighborhood, which will require weeks, months, or even years of transit time. A principle objective of the ARM is to develop a high-power Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) vehicle, and demonstrate that it can efficiently move large masses and operate for many years in interplanetary space, which is critical for

1998

TRANSACTIONS OF THE JAPAN SOCIETY FOR AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES, AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY JAPAN, 2016

which is a candidate mission of Epsilon Launch Vehicle, plans to execute scientific observations using instruments with the mass of up to about 10 kg on the transfer and Halo orbit of the sun to earth Lagrangian point L1/L2 or on the fly-by orbit of near earth objects (NEO). Potential scientific objects include in-situ observation and remote sensing from these space are solar system explorations, such as, the observations of plasma and energetic particles around the terrestrial magnetosphere, inter-planetary and inter-stellar dust, and NEO. It is also considered to be useful for the pilot observations for future infrared, gamma-ray, and cosmic-ray space astronomical telescope in the deep space. Applied missions of DESTINY will be able to go to deep space with higher mass of payloads. Using the Epsilon Launch Vehicle, it will convey instruments of up to 50 kg to the space between Venus and Mars. DESTINY launched by the improved launch vehicle with the power of M-V rocket will carry payloads of up to 200 kg into the orbit of Venus and Mars. In these phases, Explorations for Venus, Mars, and multiple NEO, and astronomical observations from the deep space observatory will be realized by low cost deep space missions.

NASA has committed to developing a stratospheric superpressure balloon capable of lifting a 1.5 ton payload to 35000 m for flights of more than 100 days. This pressurized design does not use consumables (ballast) to maintain altitude at sunset. This capability should be especially suitable for hard x-ray and gamma-ray instruments. The first long duration test flight of a full scale system is scheduled for December of this year. This is the first step in the new Olympus program, which will include thorough reevaluation and upgrades of all the support systems to make this a first class NASA launcher capable of supporting missions in all future announcements. The existing NASA LDB capability has already been included in the Explorer Program.

2018

Asteroid retrieval missions have recently attracted increasing interest from the community and could provide opportunities for scientific exploration, resource utilisation and even the development of planetary defence strategies. This paper was developed as a result of a 6-month MSc group project, realised by a total of 14 students at Cranfield University pursuing the Astronautics & Space Engineering degree. An overall system design is proposed for a technology demonstrator mission to move a near-Earth asteroid into an easily-accessible location where it could be further explored by future missions. The target final orbit is a southern halo orbit around the Lagrange point (L2) on the Sun-Earth system. ARTEMIS (Asteroid Retrieval Technology Mission) abides by ESAs constraints for a Large (L) mission call: realised in only one launch with Ariane 64, an operational duration of less than 15 years and a cost at completion of at most e1100M. The proposed mission combines the design of opt...

SpaceOps 2008 Conference, 2008

The United States (U.S.) is charting a renewed course for lunar exploration, with the fielding of a new human-rated space transportation system to replace the venerable Space Shuttle, which will be retired after it completes its missions of building the International Space Station (ISS) and servicing the Hubble Space Telescope. Powering the future of space-based scientific exploration will be the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle, which will transport the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle to orbit where it will rendezvous with the Altair Lunar Lander, which will be delivered by the Ares V Cargo Launch Vehicle (fig. 1). This configuration wiD empower rekindled investigation of Earth's natural satellite in the not too distant future. This new exploration infrastructure, developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), will allow astronauts to leave low-Earth orbit (LEO) for extended lunar missions and preparation for the first long-distance journeys to Mars. All space-based operations-to LEO and beyond-are controlled from Earth. NASA's philosophy is to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective architecture solutions to sustain this multi-billiondollar program across several decades. Leveraging SO years of lessons learned, NASA is partnering with private industry and academia, while building on proven hardware experience. This paper outlines a few ways that the Engineering Directorate at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is working with the Constellation Program and its project offices to streamline ground operations concepts by designing for operability, which reduces Iifecycle costs and promotes sustainable space exploration.