Human exploration mission studies

The nation's efforts to expand human presence and activity beyond Earth orbit into the solar system was given renewed emphasis in January of 1988 when the Presidential Directive on National Space Policy was signed into effect. The expansion of human presence into the solar system has particular significance, in that it defines long-range goals for NASA's future missions. To embark and achieve such ambitious ventures is a significant undertaking, particularly compared to past space activities. Missions to Mars, the Moon, and Phobos, as well as an observatory based on the dark side of the Moon are discussed

Human exploration mission studies

The Office of Exploration has established a process whereby all NASA field centers and other NASA Headquarters offices participate in the formulation and analysis of a wide range of mission strategies. These strategies were manifested into specific scenarios or candidate case studies. The case studies provided a systematic approach into analyzing each mission element. First, each case study must address several major themes and rationale including: national pride and international prestige, advancement of scientific knowledge, a catalyst for technology, economic benefits, space enterprise, international cooperation, and education and excellence. Second, the set of candidate case studies are formulated to encompass the technology requirement limits in the life sciences, launch capabilities, space transfer, automation, and robotics in space operations, power, and propulsion. The first set of reference case studies identify three major strategies: human expeditions, science outposts, and evolutionary expansion. During the past year, four case studies were examined to explore these strategies. The expeditionary missions include the Human Expedition to Phobos and Human Expedition to Mars case studies. The Lunar Observatory and Lunar Outpost to Early Mars Evolution case studies examined the later two strategies. This set of case studies established the framework to perform detailed mission analysis and system engineering to define a host of concepts and requirements for various space systems and advanced technologies. The details of each mission are described and, specifically, the results affecting the advanced technologies required to accomplish each mission scenario are presented

DOD low-thrust mission studies

The space transportation system (STS) will be the principal means of launching USAF spacecraft beginning in the 1980's. Since it is manned and reusable it provides new opportunities for unique approaches for cost effective utilization of its capabilities. The STS also places additional requirements and constraints on advanced spacecraft deployment systems that did not previously exist for expandable launch vehicles. To fully utilize these new capabilities designers must be prepared by having cost effective technologies available. Advanced propulsion technology that would provide flexibility, performance, and economic benefits to future Air Force missions was identified. Both electric and chemical propulsion systems are discussed. An LO2/LH2 stage with a torus LO2 tank and 500 lbf pumb fed engine is high on the list of propulsion technology

Cluster A mission studies

Mission planning and attitude stabilization requirements for AAP spacecraft cluster

Scientific Preparations for Lunar Exploration with the European Lunar Lander

This paper discusses the scientific objectives for the ESA Lunar Lander Mission, which emphasise human exploration preparatory science and introduces the model scientific payload considered as part of the on-going mission studies, in advance of a formal instrument selection.Comment: Accepted for Publication in Planetary and Space Science 51 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl

Assessment of lightweight mobile nuclear power systems

A review was made of lightweight mobile nuclear power systems (LMNPS). Data cover technical feasibility studies of LMNPS and airborne vehicles, mission studies, and non-technical conditions that are required to develop and use LMNPS

Future mission studies: Forecasting solar flux directly from its chaotic time series

The mathematical structure of the programs written to construct a nonlinear predictive model to forecast solar flux directly from its time series without reference to any underlying solar physics is presented. This method and the programs are written so that one could apply the same technique to forecast other chaotic time series, such as geomagnetic data, attitude and orbit data, and even financial indexes and stock market data. Perhaps the most important application of this technique to flight dynamics is to model Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS) output of residues between observed position of spacecraft and calculated position with no drag (drag flag = off). This would result in a new model of drag working directly from observed data

Rail accelerator technology and applications

Rail accelerators offer a viable means of launching ton-size payloads from the Earth's surface to space. The results of two mission studies which indicate that an Earth-to-Space Rail Launcher (ESRL) system is not only technically feasible but also economically beneficial, particularly when large amounts of bulk cago are to be delivered to space are given. An in-house experimental program at the Lewis Research Center (LeRC) was conducted in parallel with the mission studies with the objective of examining technical feasibility issues. A 1 m long - 12.5 by 12.5 mm bore rail accelerator as designed with clear polycarbonate sidewalls to visually observe the plasma armature acceleration. The general character of plasma/projectile dynamics is described for a typical test firing

Venus - Preliminary science objectives and experiments for use in advanced mission studies

Mission planning and experiment design for future Mariner-type Venus space probe

Three-Dimensional Lunar Mission Studies

Some three-dimensional lunar trajectories have been calculated by integration of the equations of motion of the classical restricted three-body problem of celestial mechanics. The calculations have been used for analysis of several aspects of lunar flight including requirements for achieving lunar impact and for establishment of a close lunar satellite. The allowable errors in initial conditions for lunar missions are strongly dependent on the values of the initial injection velocity and the injection angle. There can be large differences in results obtained from two-dimensional analyses (in which the vehicle trajectory is assumed to remain always in the earth-moon plane) and those obtained from three-dimensional analyses. Some of the accuracy tolerances can be fairly well estimated by use of a two-body analysis which considers the inclination of the plane of the vehicle trajectory to the earth-moon plane. Satisfactory orbits for a relatively close lunar satellite can be obtained with accuracies in the initial conditions approximately equal to those required for lunar impact