Where are humans going to live when they’re in deep space?
Partners of NASA have some interesting developments that are addressing the challenges of long-term human spaceflight.
Five partners have been working on space homes, or habitats. They are Bigelow Aerospace, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Space Systems and NanoRacks. Under NextSTEP-2, a model for public-private partnership, the companies are creating prototypes and concepts for human habitats in deep space.
NextSTEP stands for Next Space Technologies Exploration Partnerships.
So what are the partners developing?
Bigelow Aerospace currently has an expandable module attached to the International Space Station (ISS). It’s known as BEAM, and has a volume of 16 cubic meters. The company is developing a full-scale 330 cubic meter habitat that will not only be an expandable, but will also be a platform on which to test hardware for deep space – XBASE (Expandable Bigelow Advanced Station Enhancement).
Boeing is creating a habitat that will show how humans can both live and work in a deep space environment. It will be a full-scale demonstrator with the ability to test and validate essential capabilities.
Lockheed Martin will create a prototype of a habitat that will be full scale by refurbishing a logistics module. It will have integrated avionics and ECLSS (environmental control and life support systems). It will also communicate with the Orion crew module.
Orbital ATK will build upon the design of their habitat concept for cislunar space. This is based on the Cygnus spacecraft, currently one of the vehicles that resupplies the ISS with cargo. The company’s prototype will be able to be tested with not only Orion but different modules as well. Orbital ATK will also create a roadmap toward exploring Mars.
Sierra Nevada Corporation will work on an architecture that is flexible as well as a concept of operations for a habitat that will be used in deep space. To figure out if their prototype can meet the criteria for the phases of operation as well as evaluate risks, the company will base their prototype on the Dream Chaser spacecraft. Their module will launch from Dream Chaser. It will be integrated with an ECLSS system, propulsion system and module made of fabric that is also inflatable.
NanoRacks will perform a study about converting a rocket’s upper stage into a pressurized habitable environment in space. This study is being undertaken along with the company’s partners, Space Systems Loral (SSL) and United Launch Alliance (ULA). It will shed light on the approach of using any launch vehicle’s upper stage as an environment for humans.
These kind of developments are incredibly important for traveling to the red planet. We are currently in Phase 1 of 3 in NASA’s Journey to Mars. The focus of the first phase is research onboard the International Space Station. In the not-so-distant future, the second phase will involve operations in the space around the moon (cislunar space). The third phase is where humans travel to the moons of Mars and eventually the planet’s surface.
What does a habitat need to have?
Its volume must be pressurized, it must be able to dock with spacecraft, and it must have ECLSS and loistics management capabilities, a way to monitor and mitigate radiation, technologies for fire safety and human health capacity.
The important advancements being made today will enable our journey deep into space. Capabilities being developed by partners through NextSTEP are paving the way for humans to live in deep space. Together, these private-public partnerships will help take us to Mars.
Learn more about the Journey to Mars at NASA.gov.