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Space Environments and Spacecraft Effects Organization ConceptThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is embarking on a course to expand human presence beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) while also expanding its mission to explore the solar system. Destinations such as Near Earth Asteroids (NEA), Mars and its moons, and the outer planets are but a few of the mission targets. Each new destination presents an opportunity to increase our knowledge of the solar system and the unique environments for each mission target. NASA has multiple technical and science discipline areas specializing in specific space environments disciplines that will help serve to enable these missions. To complement these existing discipline areas, a concept is presented focusing on the development of a space environments and spacecraft effects (SENSE) organization. This SENSE organization includes disciplines such as space climate, space weather, natural and induced space environments, effects on spacecraft materials and systems and the transition of research information into application. This space environment and spacecraft effects organization will be composed of Technical Working Groups (TWG). These technical working groups will survey customers and users, generate products, and provide knowledge supporting four functional areas: design environments, engineering effects, operational support, and programmatic support. The four functional areas align with phases in the program mission lifecycle and are briefly described below. Design environments are used primarily in the mission concept and design phases of a program. Engineering effects focuses on the material, component, sub-system and system-level selection and the testing to verify design and operational performance. Operational support provides products based on real time or near real time space weather to mission operators to aid in real time and near-term decision-making. The programmatic support function maintains an interface with the numerous programs within NASA, other federal government agencies, and the commercial sector to ensure that communications are well established and the needs of the programs are being met. The programmatic support function also includes working in coordination with the program in anomaly resolution and generation of lessons learned documentation. The goal of this space environment and spacecraft effects organization is to develop decision-making tools and engineering products to support all mission phases from mission concept through operations by focusing on transitioning research to application. Products generated by this space environments and effects application are suitable for use in anomaly investigations. This paper will describe the scope of the TWGs and their relationship to the functional areas, and discuss an organizational structure for this space environments and spacecraft effects organization.
Document ID
20120014555
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Edwards, David L.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Burns, Howard D.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Miller, Sharon K.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Porter, Ron
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Schneider, Todd A.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Spann, James F.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Xapsos, Michael
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 26, 2013
Publication Date
May 14, 2012
Subject Category
Administration And Management
Report/Patent Number
M12-1603
Meeting Information
Meeting: 12th Spacecraft Charging Technology Conference
Location: Kitakyushu
Country: Japan
Start Date: May 14, 2012
End Date: May 18, 2012
Sponsors: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kyushu Inst. of Tech.
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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