Open Architecture For Lunar Surface Systems - Challenges Opportunities In Design, Integration, And Partnerships

摘要

Establishing a lunar outpost on the Moon to extend human presence beyond Earth orbit, pursue scientific activities, use the Moon to prepare for future human missions to Mars, and expand Earth's economic sphere will provide both challenges and opportunities in design, integration, and operation compared to the Apollo, Space Shuttle, and International Space Station (ISS) Programs. Experience from Apollo reminds developers that hardware must operate under extremely harsh conditions, and that every kilogram of payload must be critical to achieve the mission's objectives. Experience from the ISS reminds developers that multiple missions will be need to build-up and expand capabilities, and how hardware and systems will be integrated, operated, maintained, and evolved in the outpost as a whole must be planned from the very start. Long-term life-cycle costs and logistical needs should be equally or more important than minimizing early development and test costs for design selections. Past development efforts shows that critical systems, such as power, propulsion, thermal, and life support are often designed and optimized based on their own requirements instead of from a more integrated vehicle perspective. While this may minimize the mass and volume for each individual system, the total mass, volume, and development costs associated with all these systems is typically much higher for the integrated vehicle. Furthermore, decisions on how hardware will be repaired, upgraded, and replaced for maintenance, evolution, and partnership/commercial involvement to obtain an 'open architecture' need to be established early. Through architecture studies and technology development programs, these challenges in design, integration, and operation are beginning to be addressed. Concepts and development activities are emerging that could reduce the mass and life-cycle costs of an outpost, while enabling evolution and partnerships on a continuing basis. For outpost and mobile power, life support, Extra Vehicular Activity, and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) systems needed for sustained lunar surface operations, coordination between fluid consumables, components and logistics, processing systems and trash, and electrical/thermal needs could lead to an open architecture involving modular elements with standardized interfaces, common hardware and logistics, and increased flexibility that can also reduce long-term development and life cycle costs. Work on developing and demonstrating this approach through laboratory and field demonstrations is underway within NASA's ISRU technology development project and Outpost Precursor Testbed for ISRU and Modular Architecture (OPTIMA) analog site test activity.