INTERLUNE Concept for Helium-3 Fusion Development
Many considerations suggest that in the 21st Century, deuterium/helium-3 (D-3He) fusion will be the electricity generation system of choice to replace...
Phased Assembly of a European Space Station
This paper discusses a phased assembly approach for a proposed European Space Station utilising a series of constructional payloads that are delivered to orbit in an established sequence...
On-Orbit Assembly and Refurbishment of Lunar Transfer Vehicles
Initial flights of space-based manned lunar transfer vehicles (LTV) will require some on-orbit assembly and checkout due to mass and volume limitations of the Earth-to-orbit (ETO) launcher....
Orbital Construction of a NTR Mars Transfer Vehicle
This paper examines a reference Nuclear Thermal Mars Transfer Vehicle (NTMTV) in terms of on-orbit construction. The identification of subassemblies, payload manifesting, on-orbit connections,...
On-Orbit Assembly of Large Space Structures: A Mars Aerobrake Mock-up Study
As design requirements for space structures become larger in dimension, the issues of shipping and assembling these structures in space become more critical. One example of such a structure...
Cargo Transport to the Lunar Surface Using a Three Rotor Sling
The three rotor sling, a momentum transfer device, is described. The dynamics of multi-rotor systems are explained, and the three rotor system is shown to be favored over one and two rotor...
Ropeway Material Handling Systems for Lunar Mining Sites
The establishment of permanent lunar sites will be a requirement for future space explorations during early missions into space as well as long term. During all stages it will be necessary...
Beneficiation and Comminution Circuit for the Production of Lunar Liquid Oxygen (LLOX)
A complete lunar beneficiation and comminution circuit has been designed that requires no air or fluid locks for feed introduction or egress, with the exception of a vapor pyrolysis station....
Modular Robot Testbed
One approach to non-terrestrial construction involves the use of small, inexpensive, modular robots rather than expensive one-of-a-kind construction tools. The Modular Robots Testbed at...
The Virtual Mission: A Step-Wise Approach to Large Space Missions
The new Virtual Mission concept will provide NASA's Science Program with a powerful new, 'go-as-you-pay,' flexible, and resilient way of accomplishing its science observing program. The...
Advanced Construction Management for Lunar Base Construction?Surface Operation Planner
The unprecedented task of constructing a lunar base could easily overwhelm any existing terrestrial construction management system. Couple this with the overall need for lunar surface...
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...
Extraction of Potable Water from Urine for Space Applications
A regenerative technology capable of managing water and wastewater on-board long-term manned space platforms is essential if the Bush Administration's Space Exploration Initiative (SEI)...
Medical Care on the Moon
Eventually, people will return to the Moon to stay for prolonged periods of time. When they do, they will be exposed to a wide range of threats to their health including, decompression...
LIAC: A Closed Ecosystem Research Facility
A preliminary design for a closed research facility capable of supporting multispecies and ecosystem level experiments is presented. This project will support NASA's Controlled Ecological...
Mars Basing
Transportation options for getting humans to and from Mars are understood much better than are the Mars basing options themselves. Current crew mission designs do not yet integrate planetary...
Systems Integration of Lunar Campsite Vehicles
This paper describes the configuration design and subsystems integration resolution for lunar Campsite vehicles and the crew vehicles (CVs) which support them. Briefly stated, this concept...
Spaceborne Construction and Operations Planning: Decision Rules for Selecting EVA, Telerobot, and Combined Work-Systems
The development and implementation of Lunar and Mars Missions will require integration of numerous architectures for both on-orbit and planetary surface engineering and construction. These...
Towards a Spacefaring Civilization
Three questions are addressed: (1) Is the U.S. a spacefaring nation? (2) Are we a spacefaring civilization? What are the benefits of being one? If we are not, how do we become one? (3)...
Roof Management Alternatives for Aging Launch Infrastructure
This paper describes a Roof Management System approach to better cope with aging and deteriorating infrastructure support facilities at our national spaceports. It describes facility conditions...
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