Opportunity Description:
The United States’ Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) calls for implementation of a safe, sustained and affordable robotic and human program to explore and extend human presence across the solar system and beyond. To accomplish this high-level goal, the VSE has requested NASA to replace the U.S. Space Shuttle with a new exploration transportation system to continue servicing the International Space Station (ISS) and embark on new exploration missions to the surface of the Moon, Mars and other destinations. In addition, the VSE calls for NASA to pursue commercial opportunities to acquire space transportation and other services in support of ISS, Lunar, and other exploration missions.

An example of NASA’s investment in commercial opportunities is the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Project which was established by NASA to accelerate availability of commercial space transportation services to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).  NASA has awarded multiple COTS Space Act Agreements (SAAs) with two being funded for SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corp., to develop and demonstrate reliable, cost-effective access to LEO with the goal of creating a competitive market for space transportation services to ISS.  In anticipation of similar, future commercial opportunities in support of the VSE or emerging markets such as tourism and entertainment, additional commercial services should be investigated and planned.

Project Objective:
The goal of this project is to design a Human Asteroid Exploration System (HAES).   The HAES should consist of a transportation system capable of sending two or more astronauts from Earth to a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) and returning them safely to the Earth. The transportation system should be designed for a mission opportunity to a specific asteroid during the 2018-2030 timeframe, and students should explain their selection of the target. The transportation system should provide adequate crew accommodations, life support systems, and safety features for the astronauts.   To accomplish exploration of the asteroid, the transportation system must provide a capability to perform spacewalks, human exploration on the surface of the asteroid, observing the asteroid with science instruments, and returning 100 kg of asteroid sample material to Earth.

Design decisions include propulsion systems for departure from Earth orbit, arrival at the asteroid and return to Earth; reentry systems including aerodynamic shape, thermal protection system, entry trajectory and land or water recovery; life support system technology choices; Earth-to-Orbit launch vehicle selection and launch sequence. Students may propose the use of existing launch vehicles, NASA’s new Ares launch systems, or a new launch system of their own design for transportation to LEO, the asteroid and back to Earth. The overall design criteria should include mission effectiveness (i.e., scientific value and sample return capability), safety, reliability, and affordability.

The HAES project will require a multi-disciplinary team of students. Traditional aerospace engineering disciplines such as structures, propulsion, flight mechanics, orbital mechanics, and optimization will be involved. Teams will make significant design decisions regarding the configuration and characteristics of their preferred system. Choices must be justified based on both technical and economic grounds.