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TRANSFORMING THE ISS INTO A COMMERCIAL HUB: GAIA BLUE

Eugene Chang Eugenechang1990@gmail.com

ASTE 527 12/14/2021

USC Astronautical Engineering Department

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INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

  • NASA to allow Axiom Space to permanently dock a “commercial destination module” to the ISS [1].
  • Currently ISS is only set to operate until end of 2028 [2].
  • Efforts to build permanent LEO commercial stations (Axiom Space, Orion Span).
  • NASA plan for Commercial LEO Destinations project – expected to save $1 billion per year [3].

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INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

NASA Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) Plan [4]:

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Phase 1 - pursue multiple funded Space Act Agreements for early concept development of commercial destinations.

Phase 2 - purchase destination services when such services become available for purchase.

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“NASA wants ‘to be just one of many users instead of the primary sponsor and infrastructure supporter’ for stations in LEO.”

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INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

National Space Policy Goals [5]:

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  • Promote and incentivize private industry
  • Lead, encourage, and expand international cooperation
  • Extend human economic activity into deep space
  • Preserve and expand United States leadership

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Abandoning ISS after 2028 puts US at a disadvantage and only serves the interests of China and Russia [6].

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CONCEPT FOR GAIA BLUE

    • Instead of decommissioning the ISS, transform it into a new international station called Gaia Blue.

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    • Transfer management of ISS from NASA to USC Space Engineering Research Center (SERC) [7].

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    • Current ISS + new modules for tourism and business/manufacturing:
      • Research Sector (Current ISS Configuration + National Lab)
      • Tourism Sector
      • Business/Manufacturing Sector

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RATIONALE

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END RESULT: US maintains its dominance in LEO orbit while simultaneously promoting international cooperation through USC. Gaia Blue becomes a truly global project with all nations involved, self-sustained by private enterprise and private astronauts, with new and exciting manufacturing, research, and tourism capabilities in LEO orbit [8][9].

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RATIONALE

“… Extension of the Station’s service life beyond 2024 will continue to require $3 to $4 billion per year. This amount is currently about half of NASA’s annual human space flight budget and therefore directly impacts the Agency’s ability to fund components NASA has deemed necessary for its deep space exploration … [8]”

“CASIS had difficulty attracting commercial companies… [and] had underperformed on tasks important to achieving NASA’s goal of building a commercial space economy in low Earth orbit… because [NASA] did not actively oversee the organization’s technical performance and generally allowed CASIS to operate independently [8].”

NASA Inspector General Report on the ISS:

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GAIA BLUE SECTORS

  • Industry & Manufacturing

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  • ISS & Scientific Research

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  • Space Tourism

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Emergency Escape System (Dragon 2)

Industry Sector

Tourism Sector

Research Sector (ISS & National Lab)

Propulsion Module

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INDUSTRY & MANUFACTURING SECTOR

    • Medicine & drug development, 3D printing, fiber optics, ceramics, etc.
    • Microgravity changes how crystal structures develop [10].

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RESEARCH SECTOR (ISS & NATIONAL LAB)

    • Retain National Lab Status.
    • Cellular biology, crop growth, climate change & remote sensing, ground penetrating radar, materials [11][12].

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TOURISM SECTOR

  • Function as a mini “Space Hotel”.
  • Allows people to experience microgravity and to become an astronaut!

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Promote and incentivize private industry

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Lead, encourage, and expand international cooperation

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Extend human economic activity into deep space

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Preserve and expand United States leadership

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POWER

  • Nuclear Reactor (Kilopower/fission surface power project) [13].
  • Hydrogen Fueled cells [14] [15].
  • Eventually phase out solar panels – main drag contributor.

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Nuclear Reactor

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

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PROPULSION

  • Current ISS station-keeping operations are powered by 8 KTDU-80 engines [16].
  • The ISS has the following specs [17]:
    • Cd = 1.25
    • Mass = 447255 kg
    • Velocity: 7663.55 m/s
    • Altitude: 409 km
    • Area: 1448 m^2
  • From drag equation:
    • drag force: 0.1276 N
    • Deceleration: 0.000000285 m/s^2
    • Energy loss: 84462266.47 J each day.
  • Assume a factor of safety of 2 for area, mass, and drag coefficient for Gaia Blue – account for margin.
  • Gaia Blue specs:
    • Cd = 2.50
    • Mass = 894510 kg
    • Velocity: 7663.55 m/s
    • Altitude: 409 km
    • Area: 2896 m^2
  • From drag equation:
    • drag force: 0.5102 N
    • Deceleration: 0.00000057 m/s^2
    • Energy loss: 337849065.88 J each day.

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PROPULSION

Aerojet Rocketdyne R-40B Engine [19]:

- Thrust: 4 kN

- Isp: 293 s

- Propellant: NTO/MMH

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Power output of 10 R-40B engines: 57.4 MW

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Energy loss of Gaia Blue for 30 days from drag: 10.1 GJ

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Time of burn = 176.31 seconds

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LIFE SUPPORT

  • Each person requires 0.84 kg of oxygen each day [20].
  • Power yield for electrolysis is 50 kWh for 1 kg H2 and 8 kg O2 [21].
  • Oxygen needed to supply Gaia Blue capacity (6 on ISS + 8 in Tourism Sector + 4 in Industry Sector, 18 people total) = 15.12 kg per day.
  • Power needed for electrolysis per day to produce 15.12 kg of oxygen = 3.94 kW. Assume a factor of safety of 2 = 7.88 kW.
  • Max pressurized volume of 2748 m^2 [22].

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EMERGENCY ESCAPE SYSTEM �& DRAG REDUCTION

  • Each dragon 2 capsule seats four people [23].
    • Tourism section - 2 capsules.
    • Industry section – 1 capsule.

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  • The main drag contributor on the ISS is its solar panels [24].

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GAIA BLUE LONG-TERM PLANS

  • Current ISS structure has significant structural life well into the 2030s [8].

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  • Post 2030s, return major Gaia Blue parts to Earth.
    • A piece of monumental human achievement worth preserving.
    • SpaceX Starship?
    • Alternative Option : Orbital Museum

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GAIA BLUE FUTURE STUDIES

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THANK YOU!

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REFERENCES

[1] Hart, Matthew. “NASA Adds Luxury Hotel to International Space Station.” Nerdist, January 28, 2020. https://nerdist.com/article/hotel-coming-to-international-space-station/.

[2] Wall, Mike. “What's next after the International Space Station? Plans Afoot for More off-Earth Outposts.” Space.com. Space, November 3, 2020. https://www.space.com/international-space-station-future-off-earth-outposts.

[3] Sheetz, Michael. “NASA Reviews Private Space Station Proposals, Expects to Save over $1 Billion Annually after ISS Retires.” Microsoft, September 20, 2021. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/nasa-reviews-private-space-station-proposals-expects-to-save-over-1-billion-annually-after-iss-retires/ar-AAODXP1?ocid=msedgntp.

[4] Johnson, Michael. “NASA Seeks Industry Input on Future Commercial Destinations in Low-Earth Orbit.” NASA. NASA, March 22, 2021. https://www.nasa.gov/leo-economy/strategy-for-commercial-leo-destinations/.

[5] Presidential Office, and Donald Trump, National space policy of the United States of America (2020) § (n.d.).

[6] Brinkmann, Paul. “U.S. Must Prepare Now to Replace International Space Station, Experts Urge.” UPI. UPI, September 21, 2021. https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2021/09/21/International-Space-Station-planning-Congress/6301632165775/.

[7] “Hubble Space Telescope.” STScI. Accessed December 14, 2021. https://www.stsci.edu/hst.

[8] NASA and Paul K. Martin. “Examining NASA’s Plans for the International Space Station and Future Activities in Low Earth Orbit.” Office of Inspector General Report (2019).

[9] Office of the University Comptroller. “University of Southern California Fınancial Report 2018.” USC, 2018. https://about.usc.edu/files/2019/02/USC-FY18-Financial-Report.pdf.

[10] Gamota, Dan. “Manufacturing in Outer Space: Not Such a Far-out Idea.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, May 6, 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/05/06/manufacturing-in-outer-space-not-such-a-far-out-idea/?sh=2647def67ce8.

[11] “The Challenge of Growing Plants in Space: Samaa.” Samaa TV, May 11, 2018. https://www.samaa.tv/technology/2018/05/the-challenge-of-growing-plants-in-space/.

[12] Corbley, Andy Corbley. “Buried Roman City Mapped in Stunning Detail Using Ground-Penetrating Radar.” Good News Network, June 16, 2020. https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/buried-roman-city-mapped-in-stunning-detail-with-ground-penetrating-radar/.

[13] Harbaugh, Jennifer. “Fission Surface Power.” NASA. NASA, May 6, 2021. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdm/fission-surface-power/index.html.

[14] “Fuel Cells.” Americanhistory. Smithsonian, 2017. https://americanhistory.si.edu/fuelcells/basics.htm.

[15] Mitsubishi Power. “Megamie Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.” Mitshubishi. Accessed December 14, 2021. https://power.mhi.com/products/sofc/pdf/sofc_en.pdf.

[16] NASA Johnson. “Space Station Live: The New, Improved Soyuz Spacecraft.” Youtube, July 7, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsdklArMnCU.

[17] “ISS Trajectory Data.” NASA. NASA, July 27, 2021. https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/trajectory_data.cfm.

[18] “About: KTDU-80.” DBpedia. Accessed December 14, 2021. https://dbpedia.org/page/KTDU-80.

[19] Aerojet Rocketdyne. “In-Space Propulsion Data Sheets.” Aerojet Rocketdyne, July 19, 2021. https://www.rocket.com/sites/default/files/documents/In-Space%20Data%20Sheets%204.8.20.pdf.

[20] Starr, Michelle. “Breathe Deep: How the ISS Keeps Astronauts Alive.” CNET. CNET, March 20, 2015. https://www.cnet.com/news/breathe-deep-how-the-iss-keeps-astronauts-alive/#:~:text=According%20to%20NASA%2C%20the%20average,aboard%20at%20any%20given%20time.

[21] Hordeski, Michael Frank. Alternative Fuels the Future of Hydrogen, Third Edition. Milton: Fairmont Press, Incorporated, 2013.

[22] Garcia, Mark. “International Space Station Facts and Figures.” NASA. NASA, November 4, 2021. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/facts-and-figures.

[23] Wall, Mike. “Here's How Much NASA Is Paying Per Seat on SpaceX's Crew Dragon & Boeing's Starliner.” Space.com. Space, November 16, 2019. https://www.space.com/spacex-boeing-commercial-crew-seat-prices.html.

[24] Allain, Rhett. “Air Resistance in Orbit.” Wired. Conde Nast, April 5, 2013. https://www.wired.com/2013/04/air-resistance-in-orbit/.