Mars or The Moon?Where to go next?

Proposed Mission Introduction

The MoonEarth Visionary Expedition

Introduction & Contents

• Mission Objectives.

• Budget.• Why the Moon?

• Moon Base 1

– MEL• Advantages of a Moon Base.• Location.• Challenges.

– Suggested Solutions.

• A return journey to the moon with the intention of a permanent human presence (base) was chosen as the best feasible plan over a journey to Mars

• The Mission objectives will be concretely set to ensure a success/fail attitude which will set the standard and be the goal despite challenges. Budget will be discussed.

• The decision to choose the Moon over Mars will be explained.

• Planning stages for the mission will be detailed in separation and linked for overall effect.

• The Moon Exploration Lab (MEL) will be Detailed as well as the proposed base construction.

• Advantages of such a lunar base will be Explored.

• The position decision and factors influencing this decision will be shown.

• Challenges will be acknowledged. With possible solutions at this moment in time suggested.

• Planning Stages

– Stage 1

– Stage 2

– Stage 3

– Stage 4

1/32

Mission objectives and BudgetMission Objective

The mission objective is to build a sustainable multi-national research centre on the Moon which can exist independently of aid from Earth. As well as to conduct research on Human Exploration and to potentially expand this base for future projects.

BudgetA public based project part financed by the private sector is the best option. (will be revisited). All nations of the world will be invited to participate however the major space agencies will take leadership roles. The Moon base and Moon itself will not belong to any Nation in part or in full.

Public enterprise supported by Private sector, not the other way around.

2/32

Success Criteria

• To build a Moon Base which can exist independently from aid of the Earth. (Human Presence Excluded).

• For it to be able to house Humans in groups of at least 10 for at least 6 months at a time without going over a pre-determined risk in any category.

3/32

Why the Moon?• A stepping stone for future Planets and beyond.• Not fully studied or understood, which could

provide valuable clues for the origin of life on the Earth.

• Close proximity to the Earth, enabling better communication and easier travel.

• A cosmologically close test on long term Human space settlement.

• Possible mining to solve Earth’s energy crisis.

4/32

Moon Advantages over Mars.

Moon

Mars

Earth quick rescue is still a possiblity for any failures or accidents on the Moon.

Such a rescue mission to Mars is out of the question.If something went wrong a Earth rescue missionWould be years away.

Teleoperation from Earth still an option to the Moon. Saves time on mission updates and costs as well as ensuring a better mental health of the settlers with only ≈ 6 seconds delay.

Time delay on messages to Mars is ≈ 30 minutesMaking real time conversation impossible and Meetings between the settlers and the Earth Mission control impractical.

Serves as a research base for Space Exploration to Mars and beyond. Will most likely evolve into a low cost launching pad in all directions from Earth due to its negligible atmosphere. Will always be on The agenda to have a low cost launcher pad is worth the short term investment for long term gain.

Does not benefit future Human Space travel based on its position or Composition that the Moon cannot do. Only it requires more energy to launch from to explore the long term Human Exploration project.Will actually stunt the Human Expansion.

Space tourism generates extra revenue due to theexotic and short flights. A space station would not have atmospheric drag if positioned above and Energy collected can be beamed down back to the Earth with future technologies.

A mission to Mars however would be too long under current circumstances unless major inprovements are made to propulsion drive as most tourists wouldnot want to leave their loved ones for so long. A space station would again degrade in atmospheric orbit and a new one would be too costly. Unfeasible for any energy collected due to atmosphere distortingSolar power and distance between Earth and Mars.

Psychological advantage, Earth is always visible from the Moon and Vice Versa which is a benefit to those settled as well as loved ones back home. Also inspirational for other Humans to look up and wonder if another Human is looking down.

No real data has been properly collected on the Consequences of sending humans for so long to A body so far away. Psychological impacts on theCrew being away from every human being that Has ever existed without real time communicationIn a dangerous environment has yet ton even releasePreliminary results yet for a basic mission (Mars-500)

Would be a complete leap from nothing right into boiling water rather than an ease Into the expansionof mankind's frontier. One that could be costly if there's an accident! For no other reason than to create a small spark with no long term continuous results.

We’ve done it before! The next frontier is a permanent base. Its time to stop cominghome late and move out. We can do this now for a veryexiting period rather than talking about stuff for years in the future or millions of years in the future the technology is here now.

5/32

Getting to the moon:The Ariane 5 HSV CDF Rocket

The main stage consists of a large tank 30.5 metres high with two compartments, one for 130 tonnes of liquid oxygen and one for 25 tonnes of liquid, and a Vulcain engine at the base with thrust of 115 tonnes force.

Attached to the sides are two solid rocket boosters, each weighing about 277 tonnes full. Each delivers a thrust of about 630 tonnes-force .

The second stage is on top of the main stage and below the payload.

Ariane 5 ECA is capable of the largest payloads with 27 tonnes in LEO and around 7.3 tonnes to the Moon.

6/32

http://www.esa.int/esaMI/CDF/SEMBIN7X9DE_0.html

Planning Stages

7/32

Stage 1: Machine Deployment (Research and Development)

Machine Development > Crash Satellite > Lunar Dust Settle > Machine Deployment

Research and development to increase our knowledge of the surface and environment of the Moon around the proposed base location.

Machine deployment should be undertaken in the next 4 years in order to ensure the maximum amount of information is gathered before launch.

NASA (Already)ESA (Already)Russia (Already)China (2013 - Chang’e-3)India (2014 - Chandrayaan-2)JAXA (Planned)

These machines could undertake surveys of the surface and below around the Base location. They have also been shown to be able to begin the construction process and transfer materials from the “Drop Zones”.

Lunar Dust Problem.

More detailed research of the areathan satellites.

At least 2 automated rovers. One to conduct measurements of the base areaand another to begin exploring and processing the drop zone travel and locations.

8/32http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/lunar/teams/astrobotic/blog/nasa-awards-moon-mining-contract-to-astrobotic

Stage 2: Unmanned Supply Craft.

• Once lunar base and drop off zones established the process of sending unmanned supply craft can begin.

• To ensure lunar dust is allowed to settle a rotation of several drop off zones will occur.

• Unmanned supply craft greatly reduces the cost.

• Although a manned mission to the Moon has only be achieved by one space agency unmanned craft have been successfully landed on the moon multiple times by a few. The process is largely known and predictable.

• Lack of atmosphere and small cosmological distance means more missions and better equipment at lower cost.

Landing of Supply Craft > Lunar Dust settle > Machine Retrieval > Lunar Dust settle

9/32

Stage 3: Temporary Manned Mission Test.

A single return small timeframe (≈ 3 days) manned mission.Provides a Human aspect to the selection criteria for the locationthat cannot be taken into account with machines.

Largely a geology mission to ensure the foundation is secure however will also finish off any construction as well as safety checks. Only tools brought will be those to assist in the full operational

analysis and preparation of the evacuation module sent before.

Once assured of the moon bases functionality most of the crew would return leaving some as preliminaries for the moon base

(with the evacuation module in check).

10/32

Stage 4: Long Term Manned Missions.

• Stage 4 can begin when all other stages are sufficiently complete.

• Stage 4 is the final stage and is the continuous manned missions and supplies to the Moon.

• These would be spacecraft with only the appropriate materials for single journeys (as well as return). This should also allow for extra payload to the surface.

• The expansion of the moon base should now take precedence and a continued string of missions will be sent as well as unmanned supply craft as needed.

ARTH

ISIONARY

EXPIDITION

12/32

Moon

Exploration

Laboratories

Options considered:Underground

Conventional

Inflatable

Building underground means higher protection from radiation and safer in terms of air sealing, using spray sealants, i.e. shotcrete, would be the first step to creating habitable underground bases.

Could mean having to excavate large amounts of regolith to create a space large enough to be workable with. Wold be expensive and time inefficient in setting up a primary moon base.

Discovery of lava tubes on the moon could simplify objectives, with a significantly reduced need to remove as much terrain.

13/32

Would be built of layers of Kevlar and mylar. Advantage is that habitat not constrained by diameter of launch vehicle, so great volume of living space for given mass.

Can provide high resistance to space debris, e.g. BA 330 has better ballistic protection than aluminium shell designs, which is something to look for on the moon due to little atmosphere.

Some provide better radiation shielding, the aforementioned BA330 gives radiation protection equal or better than ISS.

Inflatable/Conventional Underground

Inflatable

14/32

Powering M.E.L.

Whilst heat engines and nuclear power has been considered to power M.E.L. solar panels

are seen as the best option at present.

Nuclear power requires over 3 times as much mass to provide the same unit of power and the use of which would be very controversial after

the recent Japanese nuclear crisis.

There is little knowledge of the use of heat engines as a main power source in space, so

using them could have unprecedented issues. Solar panels are therefore the safest, most

reliable and most cost effective power source.

15/32

Advantages of a Lunar Base

Helium-3(2 protons and 1 neutron)

•Non-radioactiveCould be used as fuel in future nuclear power plants (fusion power), leaving no toxic residue.

•How much Helium-3 do we need to fuel the Earth? Based on the current energy consumption, about 100 tons of helium-3 would provide enough energy for the earth for a year (which means that the moon could provide energy for the Earth for 10,000 years).

16/32

Advantages of a Lunar Base-2

Less Gravity• Future site for launching rockets

Due to the lower escape velocity a launch would require less propellant.

• Mars colony

If the Moon were colonized, then it could be tested if Humans can

survive in low gravity. Those results could be utilized for a viable Mars

colony as well.

• Processing of materials("foaming" metals, Annealing)

Lack of Atmosphere• Astronomical observatory

Due to the lack of atmosphere we can have clear and exact readings

• Light/Darkness

A constant sunlight on certain areas of the moon would allow a continuous flow of energy from solar panels.

A constant Darkness on other parts as well as the dark side of the moon

would cut out noise experienced by previous telescopes.

17/32

Where on the Moon?

A lunar base should be situated in places with the following characteristics:

• Good conditions for transport operations

• Scientific interest

• Natural resources: water, minerals

• Sunlight to produce power

• Tolerable amount of radiation

18/32

Apollo landing sitesMission Site Location Latitude Longitude Date of Landing

11 Mare Tranquillitatis

0°41'15" N 23°26' E July 20, 1969

12 Oceanus Procellarum

3°11'51" S 23°23'8" W Nov. 19, 1969

14 Fra Mauro 3°40'24" S 17°27'55" W Feb. 5, 1971

15 Hadley-Apennines 26°06'03" N 03°39'10" E July 30, 1971

16 Descartes 8°59'29" S 15°30'52" E April 21, 1972

17 Taurus-Littrow 20°9'55" N 30°45'57" E Dec. 11, 1972

Disadvantages of equatorial regions:

• Long lunar night with no sun (orbital period is approximately 27.3 days: 13 days of sunlight and 13 days of darkness)• Extreme temperatures ranging from -153 C to +107 C

19/32

Advantages of a Polar Base

• Stable temperatures: Average −50 °C (−58 °F). • Water may be present in shaded craters.• Energy: Peaks of eternal light.• Astronomical observation:

– An infrared instrument would benefit from the very cold temperatures

– A radio telescope would benefit from being shielded from Earth's broad spectrum radio interference

• Line of sight communications over a large area as well as to Earth

• Evacuation: Quick access to and from lunar orbit

20/32

Proposed site: Peary Crater (88.6°N 33.0°E)

• 73-km-wide crater called Peary, near the Moon's north pole

• Temperature: range from -50 C ± 10 • Constantly illuminated (except during

Lunar eclipses) – Mountains of Eternal Light.

• Near permanently shadowed areas that may contain some quantity of ice, providing water, oxygen for breathing and hydrogen for rocket fuel

• During a solar minimum, radiation exposure levels on the moon are at 30 rems per year and during a solar maximum radiation exposure can reach levels of 100 rems per year.

• Annual limit of radiation exposure for astronauts is approximately 50 rems.

• Lunar base must sufficiently shield astronauts from exposure above this limit. 21/32

Radar mosaic of the floor of the north polar crater Peary, showing many craters with elevated CPR inside, but not outside, their rims. This material is probably water ice.

22/32http://www.space.com/957-perfect-spot-moon-base.html

Budget Billion $

23/32http://www.spacenews.com/civil/110121-esa-budget-rises.html

Budget

Billion $

24/32

Budget

25/32http://milexdata.sipri.org/

CHALLENGES EVE Project

26/32

ChallengesEVE is an enormous

and ambitious

enterprise that

demands international

and commercial

cooperation. As a

consequence, many

challenges are

expected.

27/32

Technological Challenges

• Logistics

• Communications

• Transportation

• Equipment

• Structures

• Habitats

28/32

Human Factors Challenges

• Crew selection

• Crew health

– Physical

– Mental

• Isolation

• Team dynamics

29/32

Environmental Challenges

• Temperatures

fluctuations

• Radiation

30/32

Financial & Fiscal Challenges

• Governmental budget

• Private investments

• Public support

31/32

Budget

IRAQ Air Conditioning BudgetBillion $

32/32http://www.grist.org/list/2011-06-17-military-spends-more-on-air-conditioning-than-nasas-entire-budge

Special Thanks

Group Members. People of the IRF, Lecturers and Carol Norberg

Thank you!

Any Questions?