ARTEM1S�Architecture for Radiation Testing at Earth-Moon L1 Station

Presenter: Danielle Waters

December 11, 2018

Context

• NASA has been charged by the current administration to return to the Moon with a Mars forward focus
• Our goal: boots on the Moon by 2022, the 50^th anniversary of the Apollo 17

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Problem

• Current program: Lunar Gateway
• Originally planned to support asteroid mining mission
• 1^st module launching in 2022 (too late)
• Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit around the Moon
• Not Mars forward

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Goals: Rapid Lunar Station

• Study effects of Deep Space radiation in free space in proximal location
• Flexible & constant access to Earth & Moon
• Test new technologies in-situ
• Facilitate future Mars missions
• Economically Self-Sustaining

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Rationale for L1 Location

• Orbital flight characteristics, different from Interplanetary flight
• Thermal, shadow, pointing, attitude, etc.
• Simulates deep space due to 4π sr exposure to Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) and Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs)
• Easily accessible to Earth & ALL latitudes of the Moon
• Well-positioned for further Earth Neighborhood exploration
• Avoids Earth and Moon gravity wells on way out of Earth’s Sphere of Influence

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SEP

SEP

SEP

SEP

GCR

GCR

GCR

GCR

Concept: Station

• Simple
• 2 Combined Bigelow B330 Expandable Habitats
• 330 m³ volume ea. (30% of current ISS volume)
• Houses up to 6 astronauts
• Ready to launch to LEO by 2021 and orbit Moon by 2022 according to a Feb 2018 statement by founder, Robert Bigelow

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Concept: Station

• Self-Sustaining
• Bigelow B330 Expandable Habitats
• Independent station – propulsion, avionics, life support
• Micro-meteroid and orbital debris shield, MLI, BETA cloth
• Kilopower fission reactor
• Moon has 14 Earth days of shadow per month
• Solar power drops off ~1/r² from the Sun, applies to Mars
• Fission power essential for Moon and Mars missions
• 3-4 units would power Power and Propulsion Element planned for Lunar Gateway station (30-40kW)
• Certified in May 2019

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Concept: Architecture

• Phase 1a
• Tele-operated from Earth/ ISS
• Primarily plants and sensors collecting data
• No telerobotic way to care for animals ethically, yet
• Phase 1b
• Develop telerobotic system to care for test animals
• Short-duration crew visits to tend animals and gather data
• 1-2 weeks

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Concept: Architecture

• Phase 2:
• Long-duration crew missions
• 3 months initially
• Eventually simulate 8-month transit to Mars
• Crew documents effectiveness of countermeasures to extended exposure to GCR and SEP radiation
• Solar Storm Shelter
• Telerobotic support to Lunar rover missions

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Concept: Funding

• Lunar Tourism
• Cheaper ticket for station than Lunar surface
• Lunar Toys
• Send up plush “alien” toys regularly, take pic of them up there with Earth or Moon in background and market them as “space pals”

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Merits & Limitations

• Merits:
• Opportunity to test out new technologies
• Radiation shielding for deep space
• Nuclear fission reactor
• Expandable module
• Provides constant presence in space beyond LEO
• Constant communication to support lunar missions
• Constant access to Moon and Earth
• Central location for space port to other planets
• Simulates Interplanetary flight better than orbital
• Limitations:
• Waypoints add some delta-V over direct transfers
• Longer transit time to lunar surface than NRHO

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Summary

• L1 is prime location to study the effects of radiation on living beings
• Utilizing existing technologies in a test-bed environment allows for rapid development and build
• Excellent jumping-off point to Moon & continue further into the solar system

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L1 Halo Orbit

Mars Transfer Orbit

LEO

L1 Transfer Orbit

Moon Transfer Orbit into LLO

• Assemble station in LEO
• “Layovers” at ISS to acclimate to Space

• L1 Bigelow Station
• Radiation Shielding Testbed
• Nuclear Testbed
• Lunar Tourism
• “Alien” Toys
• Remote Ops on Moon Surface
• Lunar Transfer Point
• Mars Transfer Start

• Resources transferred to and waste removed from moon

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Cislunar Infrastructure 2022-2030

Not to scale

Future Studies

• Investigate more options for radiation shielding in deep-space
• Water & fuel outer Shield (Passive)
• Plasma shield using electrostatic & electromagnetic fields (Active)
• Investigate way to implement telerobotics in live animal radiation testing in space
• Investigate Bi-modal Nuclear Thermal Rocket(BNTR) and VASIMR

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Thank you!

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References

• Geffre, J. and the NASA Decade Planning Team, “Lunar L1 Gateway Conceptual Design Report”, JSC EX15-01001, 2001.
• Bobskill, M., Lupisella, M., et all, “Earth-Moon L1/L2 Infrastructure – What Role Does It Play?”, NASA, 2011
• Wall, Mike, “Bigelow Aerospace Launches New Company to Operate Private Space Stations”, Space.com, 20 Feb 2018, https://www.space.com/39752-bigelow-space-operations-private-space-stations.html
• Williams, Marcel F. “Cis-Lunar Gateways and the Advantages of Near Rectilinear Orbits”, New Papyrus Magazine, 5 June 2018, http://newpapyrusmagazine.blogspot.com/2018/06/cis-lunar-gateways-and-advantages-of.html
• Whitley, R., Martinez, R., “Options for Staging Orbits in Cis-Lunar Space”, NASA, 2015
• Gibson, Oleson, Poston, McClure, “NASA’s Kilopower Reactor Development and the Path to Higher Power Missions”, NASA, 2017
• Clark, A., “Radiation Shielding Techniques for Human Spaceflight”, Stanford University, 17 July 2015, http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2015/ph241/clark1/
• “How a Wearable Vest Can Protect Astronauts on a Mission to Mars”, Lockheed Martin, 2016, https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/2016/stemrad-vest-space.html
• Wikipedia:
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Orbital_Platform-Gateway
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrangian_point#Earth%E2%80%93Moon
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interplanetary_Transport_Network

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Backup Slides

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Architecture: Station

• Water shielding from radiation
• Already have to taker water, this makes it useful
• Self-sustaining through waste-recycling program
• Water is highly efficient at shielding from radiation

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• Bimodal NTR
• Alternate power source to Kilopower
• Long-term propulsion and power source for Mars missions

Merits of L1

• Easily Accessible from Earth & to Moon
• L1 has similar total transit time to NHRO, lower overall ΔV, & greater launch/transfer flexibility

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StemRad Shielding

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