NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Extending the Duration of Crewed Stays on the Lunar SurfaceNASA’s Artemis missions aim to return humans to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo Program. Unlike the Apollo missions, Artemis missions will take advantage of pre-emplaced assets on the lunar surface to support crewed exploration, science, and utilization. Although the initial Artemis surface missions are intended to keep crew on the lunar surface for durations ranging from several days to several weeks, crewed stays of longer periods may provide additional support toward NASA’s Moon to Mars Objectives, including long-term exploration and continuous human lunar presence. If mission durations are extended beyond the expected few weeks, the elements and concepts of operation for the lunar architecture will need to be capable of supporting that extension. This paper uses an integrated systems analysis perspective to examine the architectural considerations of extending the duration of human missions on the lunar surface. By identifying these key architectural considerations, this paper offers insight into how elements and operations might meet the demands of potential future mission concepts. This paper does not recommend changes to NASA’s lunar architecture, and it does not evaluate whether any mission concepts affect the relative satisfaction of the Moon to Mars Objectives. However, if crew do remain on the surface for progressively longer periods of time, the functions and capabilities provided by the assets supporting the crew may need to adjust to support the needs of those missions. The functions and capabilities identified as key to enable such extended duration missions include power generation and storage, logistics delivery, radiation mitigation, provision of medical and exercise capability, abort from the lunar surface, maintenance, and the provision of pressurized volume. For example, the medical capabilities available to the crew may become more extensive, and habitable elements may need to change to support longer crewed periods (and shorter quiescent periods). In some cases, these changes may be accomplished through alterations to use cases, operational changes, or the evolution of lunar surface elements, but in other cases, new elements may be preferable. By identifying key considerations for the functions and capabilities of notional lunar surface elements as the length of each crewed mission is extended from several days to continuous human presence on the Moon, this paper assesses how the elements of NASA’s lunar architecture might support the extension of mission durations. In addition, this analysis can help inform future evaluation of whether such extended duration missions improve NASA’s ability to address its Moon to Mars Objectives.
Document ID
20230012660
Acquisition Source
Langley Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Garrett M. Carman
(Langley Research Center Hampton, Virginia, United States)
Michelle L. Nadeau
(Langley Research Center Hampton, Virginia, United States)
Emily L. Judd
(Langley Research Center Hampton, Virginia, United States)
Paul D. Kessler
(Marshall Space Flight Center Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, United States)
Kevin T. Larman
(Analytical Mechanics Associates (United States) Hampton, Virginia, United States)
Richard L. Sutherland
(Analytical Mechanics Associates (United States) Hampton, Virginia, United States)
Date Acquired
August 28, 2023
Subject Category
Ground Support Systems and Facilities (Space)
Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration
Meeting Information
Meeting: AIAA ASCEND
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Country: US
Start Date: October 23, 2023
End Date: October 25, 2023
Sponsors: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Funding Number(s)
WBS: 452582.10.23
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Technical Review
NASA Peer Committee
No Preview Available