A Constrained Space Exploration Technology Program A Review of NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program (2008) / Chapter Skim
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2 Assessments of the Projects of the Exploration Technology Development Program
2 Assessments of the Projects of the Exploration Technology Development Program
Pages 14-50
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From page 14... ...
. Following a summary of each project's objectives and status is the committee's review of the quality of each project, the effectiveness with which the project is being developed and transitioned to the Constellation Program, and the degree to which the project is aligned with the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE)
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and advanced thermal protection system materials. 03 Lunar Dust Mitigation: Technologies for protecting lunar surface systems from the adverse effects of lunar dust.
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3,4 01 STRUCTURES, MATERIALS, AND MECHANISMS Objective The Structures, Materials, and Mechanisms project has two goals: (1) to develop lightweight structures for lunar landers and surface habitats, which may be used in future modes of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV)
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The objectives for most of the tasks are not rooted directly in supporting the VSE or Constellation Program requirements, which limits their ability to be transitioned to the customer. While this limits the risk to the customer, it also limits the overall effectiveness of the work.
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Alignment with the Objectives of the Vision for Space Exploration: Yellow Flag The performance benefit to the VSE and Constellation programs from the Structures, Materials, and Mechanisms project may not be fully achieved because of an apparent lack of specific requirements coming from the Constellation Program office. There appears to be little in the way of enabling technology in this project.
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From page 19... ...
Therefore, an entirely different heat shield design may be required for reentry from Mars; hence the present technology does not fully support the entire VSE. 03 LUNAR DUST MITIGATION Objective Dust was an issue for the Apollo astronauts, and it continues to be an issue for the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs)
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Alignment with the Vision for Space Exploration: Yellow Flag The impact of the Lunar Dust Mitigation project on the VSE is clearly enabling, and this is understood by the Constellation Program. Without control of the effects of dust, exploration on the surface would be seriously compromised.
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Ratings Quality: Green Flag The work of the PCAD project seems to be well coordinated among the primary customers, namely, the Lunar Lander Projects Office and the Orion Crew Module Project Office, the NASA technology development teams from the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) , the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC)
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The development of these enabling technologies is crucial for various NASA customers in the Constellation Program including the Lunar Lander, Earth Departure Stage, and Lunar Surface Operations projects as well as for the Mars program. Status The scope of the Cryogenic Fluid Management project includes a number of interrelated elements: LongDuration Propellant Storage, Cryogenic Propellant Distribution System, and Propellant Management Under LowGravity Environment.
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The applicability of the technolo gies and the design solutions identified for lunar missions to long-duration missions to Mars and beyond were not addressed. 06 ENERGY STORAGE Objective The objective of the Energy Storage project is to reduce risks associated with the use of lithium batteries, fuel cells, and regenerative fuel cells for the Lunar Lander, lunar surface systems, EVA, and both Ares I and Ares V
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This is due to the combination of the present state of development of lithium-sulfur and lithium-metal batteries and the very low level of planned future resources allocated to their development, particularly in the areas of safety and cycle life. Similarly, while the work on primary fuel cells is nearly on track to meet schedule requirements, that on regenerative fuel cells needs to be accelerated to meet the Constellation Program's schedule requirements for the lunar surface systems.
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The regenerative fuel cell being developed by NASA could readily find application as an energy storage medium for terrestrial markets in intermittent renewable energy systems such as wind and solar. Alignment with the Vision for Space Exploration: Green Flag The research on battery and fuel cell technologies is well aligned with the VSE, and these technologies are critical to the Constellation requirements.
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It was reported that the Constellation Program had not decided to go ahead with this technology. It was noted that the thermal technology project is supporting the In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)
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used by the active thermal control elements on the Orion and Lunar Lander systems. The technology efforts are hampered by the fact that little work is being done on exploration technologies outside the Constellation Program.
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Thus the incorporation of novel electronics concepts, such as redundancy and maintainability strategies, into mission architectures is effectively precluded, virtually eliminating any efficiencies that could be built in through more robust electronics. Alignment with the Vision for Space Exploration: Green Flag Clearly the work of the RHESE project has enormous applicability to lunar outpost and Mars missions.
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Alignment with the Vision for Space Exploration: Green Flag If effectively developed, integrated, and validated through lunar experience, ISHM technologies will provide critical risk management tools for future missions. Automated system health monitoring and management technologies are well aligned with the VSE, and they are critical to the Constellation requirements.
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There seems to be a strong disconnect, or at least a lack of good communications, between the ETDP team and the customer, Constellation. Alignment with the Vision for Space Exploration: Green Flag The primary objective of providing software tools to maximize productivity and minimize the workload for mission operations, if achieved, could provide significant benefit toward achieving the VSE.
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This appears to be a function of unclear priorities provided by the Constellation Program for the infusion of these technical advances into the flight program. Ratings Quality: Green Flag The ISD project team has made well-thought-out critical choices for addressing the project objectives and risks within the limitations of the unclear customer requirements.
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Overall, the goal is for the system to enable safe, accurate, and precise landing near selected landing sites anywhere on the lunar surface unaided by humans. The primary customer for the technology is the Lunar Lander Projects Office.
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The schedule risks appear to be acceptable, and there appear to be no high-risk technology obstacles to the project. Alignment with the Vision for Space Exploration: Green Flag Overall, the ALHAT project is well aligned with the needs of the Lunar Lander Projects Office.
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Alignment with the Vision for Space Exploration: Yellow Flag AR&D is often cited as a critical technology needed to support the VSE in the near term for Orion's mission to the ISS, in the mid-term for the Altair Lunar Lander, and in the long term for future Mars architectures. That is why it is especially important that a holistic, systematic approach be taken to this technology.
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The overriding issue is the timely maturation and qualification of the technologies for infusion into the vari ous vehicles with an acceptable level of adverse impact on the vehicle configuration in terms of mass, power, consumables, or CONOPS in terms of heat rejection requirements, reduced resupply, hygiene and housekeeping, and crew time. Alignment with the Vision for Space Exploration: Yellow Flag ELS technologies will clearly have major impacts on risk mitigation for long-duration missions such as the lunar outpost missions and Mars missions.
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At the same time, the LOCAD team is having discussions with the exploration medical research community and other Constellation projects to further define requirements for technology development. Ratings Quality: Green Flag for All Project Elements Except LOCAD; Red Flag for LOCAD No new science is being proposed or discovered on the VCAM; it is an instrumentation effort.
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Alignment with the Vision for Space Exploration: Green Flag If integration of the VCAM modules is successful and able to distinguish methanol from atmospheric oxygen, it could possibly replace the volatile organic monitor and the Analyzing Interferometer for Ambient Air. Certain lifetime issues will have to be addressed if use on a Mars mission is considered.
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For the Con stellation Program, the requirement is that exploration vehicles (e.g., Crew Exploration Vehicle, Lunar Lander, and Outpost) have fire detection and suppression capability.
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EVA technologies, including life support systems, suit materials, anthropometric optimization, power systems, and data systems, are critical technologies that will enable humans to walk and work on the surface of the Moon and Mars. The Constellation Program EVA Systems project, in conjunction with the ETDP, will develop these required technologies, which will be grouped by the following suit systems: Pressure Garment; Life Support; and Power, Communications, Avionics, and Informatics (PCAI)
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Alignment with the Vision for Space Exploration: Yellow Flag The benefit of EVA systems is obvious within the VSE; not providing the enabling EVA systems on time and within requirements will jeopardize mission success. The current effort is directed toward general EVA and Lunar Surface Operations.
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research experiment per rack every 2 years. Ratings Quality: Green Flag The ISS research projects will support the following test facilities: Microgravity Science Glovebox (On-Orbit)
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It should be noted that since the Cryogenic Fluid Management project in ETDP cannot validate its technology in microgravity or fractional gravity owing to project costs and schedule requirements, it may not be able to use results from the ISS experiments to support the Constellation Program's development. This is an example of a disconnect or gap that exists between the ISS research and ETDP's customers.
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The ISRU technology roadmap is closely linked to the NASA Science Mission Directorate and has a good link to NASA's life support development activities. However, the planning between the NASA Explo ration Systems Mission Directorate's Lunar Lander Project Office and the ISRU activities is not currently well coordinated enough.
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NASA has no current plans to fund an ISRU precursor demonstration; a precursor mission is dependent on an opportunity with one of NASA's international partners. Alignment with the Vision for Space Exploration: Green Flag The benefits of the ISRU project to both lunar and Mars exploration are well aligned with the goals of the VSE because this technology can dramatically improve the probability of successfully achieving lunar and Mars mission goals.
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Technologists working to develop In Situ Resource Utilization, Lunar Dust Mitigation, and Cryogenic Fluid Management would greatly benefit from the availability of increased electrical power. Obviously, the life support system and science instruments would benefit from more power.
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Fabrication of components made of plastic, ceramics, or metals has been demonstrated. While the committee is aware that NASA has a logistics study effort underway in the Constellation Program, the committee believes that NASA should examine the possibility of funding a technology project to examine if new technologies involving physical commonality and rapid prototyping could reduce the future need for having spare parts and the accom panying logistical burden.
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From page 47... ...
These types of systems could spin polymers to repair insulation and install antichafing at the damage site and similar sites to prevent recurrence. Ratings Quality: Green Flag The various tasks under the Supportability project appear to have high quality in both the development path layout and the knowledge and ability of participants to complete the projects.
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Alignment with the Vision for Space Exploration: Green Flag The performance benefits from self-sufficiency with respect to maintainability and streamlined logistics will enable cost reductions in implementing both lunar and Mars exploration and thus the Supportability project work is well aligned with the VSE. 22 HUMAN-ROBOTIC SYSTEMS/ANALOGS Objective The main effort of the Human-Robotic Systems/Analogs project concentrates on reconfigurable, long-range robot vehicles and supporting technologies.
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If NASA does not make the commitment to meet these costs, the deadlines will almost certainly slip, and the effort could fail. Alignment with the Vision for Space Exploration: Green Flag The Human/Robotic technology has significant architectural benefits.
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. TABLE 2.2 Summary of the Committee's Ratings for Each ETDP Project with Regard to Quality, Effectiveness in Developing and Transitioning Technology, and Alignment with the Vision for Space Exploration Project Name Quality Effectiveness Alignment 1 Structures, Materials, and Mechanisms 2 Ablative Thermal Protection System 3 Lunar Dust Mitigation 4 Propulsion and Cryogenics 5 Cryogenic Fluid Management 6 Energy Storage 7 Thermal Control Systems 8 High-Performance and Radiation-Hardened Electronics 9 Integrated Systems Health Management 10 Autonomy for Operations 11 Intelligent Software Design 12 Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance 13 Automated Rendezvous and Docking Sensors 14 Exploration Life Support 15 Advanced Environmental Monitoring and Control 16 Fire Prevention, Detection, and Suppression 17 Extravehicular Activity Technologies 18 International Space Station Research 19 In Situ Resource Utilization 20 Fission Surface Power 21 Supportability 22 Human Robotic Systems/Analogs Totals Gold star 1 0 1 Green flag 12 5 12 Yellow flag 10 16 9 Red flag 1 3 0 Key: Gold star: Quality unmatched in the world; on track to deliver or exceed expectations.
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