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BuildinganEconomicalandSustainableLunarInfrastructureToEnableLunarScienceandSpaceCommerce

Dr.AllisonZuniga,MarkTurnerandDr.DanRaskyNASAAmesResearchCenter– SpacePortalOffice

MikeLoucks,JohnCarricoandLisaPolicastriSpaceExplorationEngineeringCorp.

LEAGMeeting– Oct11,2017

Background

• NASA’sCommercialOrbitalTransportationServices(COTS)programwasverysuccessfulindemonstratingISScargodeliverycapabilities.§ Resultedindevelopmentof2launchvehiclesandspacecraft(SpaceX’sFalcon9andOrbital’sAntareswithCygnus)

§ Public-privatepartnershipsapproachresultedinsignificantlylowerdevelopmentcosts,asmuchas10-to-1reductionincostsforSpace-X’sFalcon9development.

• NASA’sLunarCATALYSTinitiativesponsoredbyNASA’sHEOMDAdvancedExplorationSystemdivisionhascompetitivelyselectedpartnersin2014todevelopcommerciallunarcargotransportationcapabilitiestothesurfaceoftheMoon.§ Establishedno-funds-exchangedSpaceActAgreementswith3U.S.companiesincludingAstrobotic,MastenSpaceSystemsandMoonExpress.

§ Commerciallunartransportationcapabilitiescouldsupportscienceandexplorationobjectives,suchassamplereturns,resourceprospectingandtechnologydemonstrations.

• NASAhasrecentlyreleased2RFI’sforlunarpayloadsandlunarcargotransportationservicesandispresentlyconsideringissuingsolicitationsforthesecapabilitiesandservices.

• LunarCOTSisaconceptstudyfocusingonthetechnicalandeconomicalfeasibilityofbuildinglunarinfrastructureaswellasthebenefitsandchallengesofusingaCOTS-likemodel.

LunarCommercialOperations&TransferServices(LCOTS)ConceptStudy

GOALS• Developaffordableandcommercialcis-lunar

andsurfacecapabilitiesinpartnershipwithindustry.

• IncentivizeindustrytoestablisheconomicallunarinfrastructureservicestosupportNASAmissionsandLunarCommerce.

• Encouragecreationofnewspacemarketsforeconomicgrowthandbenefit.

Approach1. Use3-phaseapproachinpartnershipwithindustrytoincrementallydevelopcommercialcapabilitiesandservices.

2. UseCOTSmodelapproachtopartnerwithindustrytosharecostandrisk.

3. Beginwithlow-cost,commercial-enabledlunarmissionstodemonstratesmall-scalelunarinfrastructurecapabilities.

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LunarCOTSPhasedImplementation

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Phase1:Low-Cost,Commercial-EnabledMissions

Phase2:PilotScaleDemonstration Phase3:Long-TermContracts

• Partnerwithindustrytodevelopcapabilitiestoenableanevolvablelunarinfrastructure;• Includeslunarcargodelivery,powerstations,communicationtowers,etc.

• Assesspotentiallunarsitesforaccessibilitytolunarresourcesandeconomicviabilityforresourceextraction.

• Demonstrateinfrastructureservicesonapilot-scaletosupportfutureNASAmissionsandcommercialactivities,suchas,lunarminingorresourceextraction.

• Evaluatefeasibilityandeconomicsofscalingupproductiontofullscale.

• NASAawardslong-termcontractsforinfrastructureservices,suchas,lunarcargodeliveryandpower/commservices.

• NASAmayalsoawardlong-termcontractsforfull-scaleresourceextractionand/ordeliverytocis-lunardestination.

LunarInfrastructureElements

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LunarCommunicationTowers• Expandscommlinkstoareasthatarenotindirectline-of-sightwithEarth,suchas,withincratersorcaves

PowerStations• Enablespowergenerationandstoragecapabilitiesusingsolarpowerbatterysystem.

• Extendslifeofroverstoseveralyearsbyprovidingre-chargingandthermalcontrolcapabilities

LunarCargoDelivery• Performsprecise,softlandingstodeliversmall

payloadstomultipledestinationsonthelunarsurface

MultiplePowerTowers• Providecontinuouscommunicationscoverage withmultipletowers

• Greateraccesstopowerrechargingandhibernationstations

• Facilitatespreciselandingsthroughtriangularizationofnavigationaldata

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NASALunarCOTSConcept(LCOTS)

[PlayVideo]ConceptObjective:

PartneringwithIndustrytoBuildanEconomicalInfrastructure

LeadingthewaytotheFirstLunarIndustrialCity

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LCOTSConceptofOperations

InfrastructureSystemReferenceDesign

• Targetedlandeddrymassnottoexceed900-1000kg• Payloadmassrangesfrom350-450kgincl.power

station,commtowerandrovers• 2meterDiametermodularhexBus• Landerlegsare<4meterdiafixed• 10metertallcommunicationtower

– Mastistelescopicanddeploysafterlanding– Allowsforover1kmlineofsight– Expandscommcoveragetoareasthatarenotindirect

line-of-sightofEarth• Solarpanels

– Polarlander:bodymountedwithadditionaldeployablesolarpanelsasshown

– EquatorialLander– horizontaldeployablesolarpanels• PowerStation

– Consistsof24-36modulesoflithiumionbatteries– Provides800–1600Wofpowerinduringlunardayand

40-70Wcontinuouspowerduringlunarnight– Re-chargesroversduringdaylightandprovideskeepalive

powerandthermalcontrolofroverstosurvive14-daylunarnight

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Landing Beacon, Transponder &

Camera

Radiator

Body-Mounted

Solar Panels

Deployable Solar Panels

Communication Tower

• Extendsmissionlifetoseveralyears(6to8yearsdependingonbatterylife)• Addingmobilitysystemwillextendtraversedistancestohundredsofkilometers

Power Station

Lunar Rover Dock

for Recharging

LaunchVehiclePayloadCapabilities

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LaunchVehicles* LEO(mt) GTO(mt)PayloadtoLunar

Surface(non-lander)(mt)

AtlasV 18.8 8.9 0.5– 1.4

Falcon9FT(FullThrust) 22.8 8.3 0.4- 1.1

FalconHeavy 63.8 26.7 1.5- 3.9

VulcanCentaur 22 11 0.7 – 1.8

VulcanACES 35 17 1.0-2.7

NewGlenn2-stagevehicle 45 13 0.8– 2.0

NotesIsp ranges from 285 to 336 seconds for Lander system*Launch vehicle data obtained from publicly available websites.

• STKwasusedtoanalyzelunartrajectoriestoseveralequatorialandpolardestinations.– Adirectlunartrajectorywasselectedforbestperformance.– Sensitivityanalysiswasalsoperformed.

• KeyParameterthatdriveslunarlandingmassisLanderspecificimpulse,Isp:– MMH/NTOBipropIsprangesfrom274-333sec– MasslandedontheMoondoublesoverthisrange– Off-the-shelfenginesinthisrange:

» MoogBiprop~274-310sec» AerojetBiprop300-333sec

• SensitivityanalysisshowedthatDeltaVdifferencebetweenpolarandequatorialsitesarenegligible(within~15m/sec)

LunarTrajectoryAnalysis

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FindingFuturedevelopmentshouldfocusonhighthrust/highISPlandersystemwhichhasgreatestimpacttolandingmassperformance.

Upper Stage

Low Lunar Orbit (polar)

TLI burn by Upper Stage(ΔV =3105 m/s )

MOON

EARTH

LEO 300 km

Lander

Upper Stage

Laun

ch

Vehi

cle

LOI by Lander(ΔV =835 m/s )

Lunar Descent(ΔV=1822 m/s)

DraftMissionObjectives• Demonstratelunarcargodeliverycapabilities.• Demonstratepowergenerationandstoragecapabilities

usingsolarpowerbatterysystem.• Demonstratecommlinkcapabilitiesfromroverstoground

stationsviahightowercommsystem.• Demonstrateautonomousoperationofroverswith

commandsfromground.• Demonstratecapabilitytore-chargeroversduringlunar

dayandcapabilitytohibernatewiththermalcontrolduringthe14-daylunarnight.

DraftDesignReferenceMission

LaunchVehicleCapabilities• Medium-classlaunchvehicles,suchasFalcon9orAtlasV,

maydeliver1or2lunarlanderstolunarsurface.• Heavy-classlaunchvehicles,suchasFalconHeavyorNew

Glenn,maydeliverupto4lunarlanderstomultiplelunardestinations.

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DraftMissionTimeline

Min MaxLaunch -15 -115 MinutesTLI 0 0 MinutesLOIBegins 4.5 5.5 DaysLOIEnds 6.5 7.5 Days

DOI 7.5 14.5 DaysLanding 7.55 14.55 Days

Note: Mission Timeline Ranges. TLI = 0

1. Launch

2. Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI)

3. Trans-Lunar Coast Trajectory

4. Lunar Orbit Insertion(LOI)

5. Descent(DOI)

6. Landing

DraftInstrumentationOptions

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SampleInstrumentationOptions KeyMeasurements

NeutronSpectrometerSystem(NSS) Senseshydrogen-bearingmaterials(eg.Ice) inthetopmeterofregolith.

Near-InfraredVolatileSpectrometerSystem(NIRVSS)

Identifyvolatiles,includingwaterform(e.g.icebound)intop20-30cmofregolith.Alsoprovidessurfacetemperaturesatscalesof

BenefitstoLunarIndustrialization

Industry• Opportunitytobefirsttocorneraspace-basedmarket

whichmaybeverylucrative(e.g.lunarcargodelivery,lunarmining,lunartourism,etc)

• Estimatedprojectionsstatepotentialformulti-trilliondollareconomy.

Public• Excitingnewadventuresforexplorersofallraces,genders

andbackground!• Benefitshumanityinofferingexpandedopportunitiesand

resources.

Govt’sRole• NoonecompanycanindustrializetheMoonalone.

Investmentstoentermarketaretoohugeandriskytoenteralone.

• GovtcanplaykeyrolebyestablishingPublic-privatepartnershipstohelpaccelerateinfrastructuredevelopment.

• Othergovtincentivesshouldbeexploredtolowerbarriersofentryandenablenewlunarindustriesandmarkets.

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TheMooncanserveasaGatewaytotherestoftheSolarSystemandbeyond.

NextSteps

1. Furtherdevelopmissionconceptoptionsfor3-PhaseapproachtoLunarCOTS.– Continuematuringdesignoptionsforpowergenerationand

thermalcontroltoextendmissionlifetoseveralyears.– Addmobilityandsuspensionsystemtopowerstationto

extendtraversedistancestohundredsofkilometers.– Useofimpactorsand/orpenetratorsthatcanbedeployedon

descenttrajectory.– DevelopdesignoptionsforLunarDronestogatherdataover

roughandsteepterrain.– Investigatelow-costscienceinstrumentoptions– DevelopdesignoptionsforSampleReturnMissions(include

optionsforascentstage).– UseDeepLearningandAItechnologiestorapidlyoptimize

solutionsforlandingsiteselection,resourceidentification,traverseandmissionplanning,etc.

2. Conduct2-dayLunarIndustrializationWorkshopatAmesto:– Provideforumbetweencommercialspacecompaniesand

NASAtechnicalexpertstoexchangeideasanddevelopplans.

3. ExplorepartnershipopportunitieswithotherNASACentersandcommercialindustrytohelpadvanceLunarCOTSconcept.- Conductindustryinterviewstodetermineareasofinterestfor

partnership;evaluatetechnicalandbusinessreadinesslevels.

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Phase 1- Low-Cost Commercial-Enabled Missions

Phase 2 –Pilot Plant Demo

Phase 3 – Full-Scale Production