A recent estimate of the cost of the first human mission to Mars suggests that it could cost “half a trillion dollars.” This estimate is consistent with most past estimates. A similar cost number can easily be derived using ...

As the nation plans manned missions that go far beyond Earth orbit to Mars, there is an urgent need for a robust, disciplined systems engineering methodology that can identify an optimized Environmental Control and Life ...

It is sometimes optimistically hoped that a space life support system can be kept working throughout a long duration mission by repairing failed components, as long as sufficient spares are flown. It is usually assumed ...

Astronauts who spend many weeks or months in space in microgravity suffer serious health problems including muscle atrophy, cardiovascular deconditioning, bone calcium loss, impaired vision, and immune system changes. The ...

The earlier problems can be found and corrected, the easier and cheaper it is to fix them. Doing less testing saves cost and time but doing too little testing increases the risk of operational failures causing large costs ...

This paper considers how to improve the reliability and maintainability (R&M) of future NASA space life support systems. If these systems are procured under an industry contract, defining the R&M requirements would take ...

Cost-effective high reliability can be achieved in future space life support systems through careful systems analysis and design. This paper outlines a comprehensive approach. Potential future human space missions are ...

Brine drying systems may be used in spaceflight. There are several advantages to using brine processing technologies for long-duration human missions including a reduction in resupply requirements and achieving high water ...

Deep space missions could benefit from In Space Manufacturing (ISM) using In situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) to provide mission extensibility. Methane (CH4) is a potential carbon substrate for methanotrophic microorganisms ...

A fundamental cause of difficulty in large engineering projects is their inherent complexity. An impression of complexity occurs if a system is simply difficult to understand, where there is no obvious mental model that ...