ASEN 5158 Space Habitat Design

10/16/2008

Ch. 13 Designing, Sizing and Integrating a Surface Base

 

Learning Objectives

  1. Extend traditional orbital spacecraft design process to meet unique requirements of a surface habitat

Designing a Surface Base

•         Determine mission objectives

•         Outline scenario

•         Select site

•         Layout architectural options

•         Size and integrate elements

•         Assess cost and complexity

•         Document and iterate

Environmental Parameters

•         Dust

•         Gravity level

•         Light level

•         Temperature ranges

•         Radiation

•         Micrometeorites (vs. meteoroids)

•         Soil Properties

Primary Design Factors and Trade-offs

•         Mission objectives – what to do

•         Human I/O and # Crew

•         Mission Durations

•         Environments Encountered

•         Habitable Volume

•         EVA Requirements

•         Mission Elements

•         TRL & Mission Schedule

•         Launch mass / volume capabilities

•         ISRU trades

•         Mission risks - consider LEO vs. Mars

•         Extensibility – how to evolve

•         Cost – budget and schedule trade offs

Phases (Extensibility)

•         Sortie / preparatory missions

–        Crewed or uncrewed

•         Outpost

–        Temporary occupation

–        Crew < 10

•         Base

–        Permanently occupied

–        Crew > 10

•         Settlement

–        Long term, large scale

–        Crew > 100

•         Colony

–        Self sustaining

–        Crew > 1000

Deltas to Ch. 12

•         Flight elements vs. ground habitat

–        Both depend on crew size and duration

–        volume, ECLSS, power, thermal, etc.

•         Transport of habitat to surface

–        Inhabited or uncrewed with separate lander

•         Unique environmental parameters

–        Dust, partial gravity, thermal

•         Mission objectives

–        Exploration = especially demanding on EVA

What really differentiates surface habitats from orbital vehicles?

 

•         Additional launch / land capability needed

–        Likely multi-vehicle configuration

–        Earth launch, transit, descent, surface, ascent, return

•         Environment

–        Weightlessness and partial gravity levels

–        Surface conduction and convection (Mars)

–        Dust

•         EVA

–        Different equipment and operations

•         suits, rovers, tasks

–        ‘Weight’

–        Dust

•         Mars Mission

–        Very different safety implications relative to LEO or moon missions

 

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