Title: Architectures for an Integrated Human Space Exploration Program
Abstract: Long-duration missions to the surface of Mars are generally regarded as the ultimate goal for the human spaceflight program in the foreseeable future. In order to make such missions a reality, significant advances in various capabilities need to be achieved. Such advancements will require a sustained, long-term space program to provide steady funding over several decades. It is unlikely that any space agency would be capable of such funding without interim returns on investment through scientific investigations or high-visibility public events. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out missions to other interesting locations in the inner solar system before a mission to the surface of Mars is achieved. This paper describes an approach for developing a sustainable human spaceflight program by investigating the relationships between the capabilities needed for a Mars surface mission and the capabilities required for other destinations for human spaceflight. Nine critical capabilities ranging from long-duration surface habitation to aero-entry and aero-capture technologies are outlined based on a review of NASA’s Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0. Six destinations which can be visited before reaching the surface of Mars such as Near Earth Objects and the lunar surface are also outlined. By investigating the relationship between the capabilities required for a Mars surface mission and the capabilities required for each mission type, feasible integrated human spaceflight architectures can be constructed. The two main classes of these programs involve developing the capabilities required for Mars which support advanced in-space missions, such as Mars flyby missions, before developing the capabilities to support lunar surface missions and vice-versa.
Publication Year: 2009
Publication Date: 2009-06-14
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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