Advanced Developmental Architectures for Our Moon Ma
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70th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Washington D.C., United States, 21-25 October 2019. Copyright ©2019 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved. IAC-19,A3,IP,7,x52520 The USC ADAM Project: Advanced Developmental Architectures for Our Moon Madhu Thangavelua*, Duy Nguyenb, Ivan Figueroac, Danielle Watersd Martin Grecoe, Caitlyn Alexanderf, Zachery Batesg, Jeffrey Asherh, Alexander Sullivani, Robert Antypasj a Conductor, ASTE527 Graduate Space Concept Synthesis Studio, Department of Astronautical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, Rapp Research Building, & the School of Architecture, University of Southern California, University Park, Los Angeles, California 90089-1191. [email protected] b-j Graduate Student, Department of Astronautical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Rapp Research Building, University Park, Los Angeles, California 90089-1191. * Corresponding Author "Lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities. Beginning with missions beyond low-Earth orbit, the United States will lead the return of humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations;". – White House Space Policy Directive #1 Abstract The US administration has laid out, in the clearest terms yet in many years, what the nation expects NASA to do in the immediate term: Return people to the Moon asap(2020s timeframe) with the goal of building the technological and operational infrastructure to conduct a safe human Mars expedition within the next two decades(2030s). A fresh new space policy outlook drives an invigorated agency impetus to incorporate homegrown private space companies, that are chomping at the bit with creativity and new visions for utilizing human spaceflight for commerce and profit, and NASA is already showing signs of nurturing many more partners, both commercial and international entities into the core of this vital civilian endeavor, particularly in human space activity. How to jumpstart a self-sustainable cislunar economy that does not wither and fade with each administration cycle and be victim yet again to the on- again off-again visions for human space activity ? Robotic precursor missions to both Moon and Mars have been underway for some years now, with the aim of gauging in-situ resources for extended human activities, eventually leading to permanent settlements. Following the Apollo missions nearly half a century ago, several reports have presented the case that the Moon is the most proximal celestial body where much of the hard engineering data and experience needed for more ambitious missions may be tested, evolved and certified. Commerce is the lifeblood of modern civilization. Commerce is a pillar of national security. Open-ended government funded space exploration, by itself, is not sustainable for future long duration missions. Hence the role of commerce and international partners in human space activity. An effort to expand the International Space Station model to include more partners on a global scale is also proceeding in parallel. The goal to develop and field the next generation of human occupied space station, one that can safely keep her crew and reliably operate beyond the protective cocoon of the Earth’s magnetic field is logically the next step along the critical path for evolving a Mars expedition vehicle, one that has to withstand the interplanetary environment, before crew can be delivered to the surface of Mars. While large, heavy lift launch vehicles and planetary landers are being developed, integrated and tested, are there ways to speed up human spaceflight activity ? What projects can we do with existing human spaceflight assets that are aligned with administration space policy directives ? The ADAM Project attempts to explore options available in the immediate term, to satisfy the national space policy goals set forth by the current administration, while encouraging new visions for human space activity, utilizing existing space technology to accelerate real space commerce for the immediate benefit of all society. The USC 2018 ADAM Project continues in a long line of past lunar projects that make the case for speedy lunar return. The ADAM project concepts and earlier works of the ASTE527 Studio may be accessed at : https://sites.google.com/a/usc.edu/aste527/home The current US administration White House directives, the ISS Transition Report and the National Space Exploration Campaign Report were helpful in shaping the Adam Project concept synopses that are presented. Keywords: Return to the Moon, White House Policy SPD#1, Mars Forward Agenda, Gateway Project, Commerce IAC-19-A3.IP.7 Page 1 of 16 70th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Washington D.C., United States, 21-25 October 2019. Copyright ©2019 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved. 1. Introduction launch systems can access using proven hardware, both for crew and cargo, "Lead an innovative and sustainable program of 2. A sturdy interplanetary transit vehicle for the exploration with commercial and international partners crew to go to Mars and back, one that can protect the crew to enable human expansion across the solar system and and systems from the unknown effects of interplanetary to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities. and solar weather(Galactic Cosmic Radiation and solar Beginning with missions beyond low-Earth orbit, the particle radiation) especially on crew during long transit United States will lead the return of humans to the Moon period, for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by 3. A reliable planetary lander that can safely land human missions to Mars and other destinations;". – and put the crew on transit back to Earth, White House Space Policy Directive #1 4. A dependable atmospheric entry craft for returning the crew safely back to Earth. 5. And most important, a reliable communication The US administration has laid out, in the clearest system that can keep the crew and mission control in terms yet in many years, what the nation expects NASA contact throughout the course of the expedition. to do in the immediate term: Return people to the Moon Many of the elements listed above are in various asap(2020s timeframe) with the goal of building the stages of development, some yet to start, and NASA is technological and operational infrastructure to conduct a training both government and commercial crew for safe human Mars expedition within the next two missions to the ISS in LEO and beyond. decades(2030s). Note that ISS is a Low Earth Orbiting space station. A fresh new space policy outlook drives an An interplanetary vehicle, especially during the long invigorated agency impetus to incorporate home grown transit period, will have very different characteristics private space companies, that are chomping at the bit while operating in interplanetary space. For instance, the with creativity and new visions for utilizing human vehicle will not have the same thermal cycling profile, spaceflight for commerce and profit, and NASA is since the spacecraft attitude along the trajectory is already showing signs of nurturing many more different. Hence the power system optimization is commercial entities into the core of this vital national different. The systems and configuration are affected by endeavour, so the United States can continue to be deep space radiation as well, to name a few. A new set of preeminent in spaceflight, particularly in human space engineering requirements will follow in the design of activity. such interplanetary spacecraft, to be evolved, tested and Barely had word got out, and enthusiastic debates are certified before such an expedition is commissioned. already raging about how to go about unpacking this Robotic precursor missions to both Moon and Mars directive, and whether we should go to lunar orbit or have been underway for some years now, with the aim of directly to the Moon first. Why are we going to the Moon, gauging in-situ resources for extended human activities, if we are not landing on the Moon ? How to jumpstart a eventually leading to permanent settlements. Following self-sustainable cis-lunar economy that does not wither the Apollo missions nearly half a century ago, several and fade with each administration cycle and be victim yet reports have presented the case that the Moon is the most again to the on- again off-again visions for human space proximal celestial body where much of the hard activity that past administrations have proposed ? engineering data and experience needed for more One of the prime functions of systems architecting is ambitious missions may be tested, evolved and certified. to resolve such conflicts using synergies that are not NASA holds global mystique. NASA has agreements apparent at first sight. Indeed, the national space policy with more than 130 nations to conduct joint missions and does offer solutions to all those questions and more. space experiments, much more than any other nation has Subsequent documents including SPD-2 and SPD-3 in any complex international endeavour to date. Several along with the ISS Transition Report and the National robotic spacecraft, many carrying components and Space Exploration Campaign Report offer some clues on equipment developed by international partners are how to go about realizing the vision laid out in SPD-1, expanding the frontiers of knowledge, from detecting the first directive. water on our Moon and monitoring Climate Change on If we follow the space policy agenda laid out by the Earth, attempting to measure the pulse of Mars, to current administration, the essential human spacecraft studying our sun at close range. Some spacecraft are even architectural elements needed to achieve this goal for racing beyond the domain of our solar system. Other lunar return with a Mars Forward vision quickly and missions are currently peering out to gauge the depths of safely include: our vast universe, unravelling the mysteries of our 1.