Mars Mission Designs: Comparing the Near Term Options
The benefits to be derived from manufacturing chemical rocket propellants from native resources on the Martlan surface are so great that it will almost certainly be a component of any...
Lunar Liquid Oxygen Production Facilities
Production of oxygen beyond Earth's gravity well has been shown to be an economic asset for interplanetary travel using chemical combustion propulsion. Requirements for lunar liquid oxygen...
The Initial Exploration of Mars: Rationale for a Return Mission to Chryse Planitia and the Viking 1 Lander
The concepts behind planning a landing site on Mars are discussed. Based on the engineering constraints and the scientific objectives which will likely be imposed on the first few missions...
Architectures for Mission Control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
One of the most vital, but often overlooked, research areas for space missions is flight operations. The imbalance is caused by many factors. Among them, the manner in which space missions...
Space Station & Lunar/Mars Life Support Research
The first part of this paper will report on the tests now being conducted by the Environmental Control and Life Suport Systems (ECLSS) at Marshall Space Flight Center. The findings of...
Pressure Suit Requirements for Moon and Mars EVA's
In this paper, we examine the influence of pressure suit and backpack designs on astronaut productivity and on the frequency with which EVA's can be conducted during lunar base operations...
System Concepts for a Series of Lunar Optical Telescopes
The Lunar Telescope Working Group of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), NASA, has conducted conceptual studies of an evolutionary family of UV/optical/IR telescopes to be based on...
In-Flight Calibration of Mass Spectrometer
A new device for in-flight calibration of mass spectrometer is presented. At a ground station command the calibrator introduces a constant and reproducible amount of deuterium into the...
An Analysis of Human Performance in Simulated Partial-Gravity Environments
Three unique partial gravity test environments; parabolic flight, water immersion and a mechanical-relief device provide the environment to evaluate human locomotion, reach sweeps, and...
A Reliability Analysis of Aerospace Structures Subject to Thermal Mechanical and Flight Loads
Aerospace structures are subjected to various flight loads throughout their service life. In certain anticipated missions, significant thermal stresses will be generated through atmospheric...
Technology Needs Development and Orbital Support Requirements for Manned Lunar and Mars Missions
This paper will present an overview of the critical technology needs and the Space Station Freedom (SSF) focused support requirements for the Office of Exploration's (OEXP)...
Manifesting for a Lunar Robotic, Oxygen-Producing Base
Using robotic systems and human supervisory control, a lunar base reasonably be established to achieve full production within five years. Intermittent human presence works in coordination...
National Aero-Space Plane Pioneering New Frontiers
Paper reviews the current status, technology and potential future space launch applications of the joint DOD/NASA National Aero-Space Plane (NASP) program. Key program goals include first...
Artificial Gravity: Human Factors Design Requirements
A major challenge of manned spaceflight is to assure the health, well-being and performance of the space inhabitants. As man ventures beyond Earth's orbit to settle the Moon,...
Columbus Generic Element Management Concept
The concept for largely autonomous onboard management of the ESA Columbus project elements relies on the automation of operational procedures. Reconfigurable items are commanded in sequence...
Alternatives for the U.S. Manned Space Program
There are a number of directions the U.S. space program could take. Should a space station be built? Should a lunar outpost be constructed? Should the U.S. plan a manned trip to Mars?...
Constraints on Lunar Base Construction
This article discusses the development of scenarios and designs for the construction of a lunar base or network of bases, which will require close attention to the natural and human constraints...
Environmental Considerations for Lunar Base Engineering
Currently a large number of conceptual designs are being offered for the lunar base involving various types of structural materials and equipment for construction or resource recovery....
Use of Non-Terrestrial Materials for Large-Scale Space Activities
As the space program matures, space construction will evolve from assembly and deployment of systems fabricated on the Earth to projects constructed from locally available resources. The...
Basing Options for Lunar Oxygen for Manned Mars Missions
The use of lunar oxygen to support lunar space transportation reduces Earth launch mass requirements by a factor of 2. In this paper, the authors show that lunar oxygen can also reduce...
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