William H. GerstenmaierNovember 6, 2012

RESEARCHON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE

STATION:PRESENT AND FUTURE

• International Space Station Accommodations• Present and Future Space Science

– Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS)

– Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES)

– Monitor of All-Sky X-ray Image (MAXI)

– Cosmic Rays Energetics and Mass (CREAM)

– Space Environment Data Acquisition (SEDA-AP)

– Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE-III)

– Solar Monitoring on Columbus (SOLAR)

• Future Exploration Plans• The Radiation Problem

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OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

Maintains an international crew of six people, seven days a week, 24 hours a day

Orbits 220 miles above the Earth, circling every 90 minutes at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour

The largest spacecraft ever built and the longest-inhabited object to ever orbit the Earth

Has hosted more than 200 people from 15 countries

A research and technology test-bed for scientific discovery that is improving human life and enabling future space exploration

Conducts microgravity research that benefits humanity on earth and in space

More than 150 active research activities

Over a decade of ongoing research

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

OVERALL INTERNAL OVERALL INTERNAL ACCOMMODATIONSACCOMMODATIONS

DestinyDestiny

ColumbusColumbus

KiboKibo

23 INTERNAL SITES23 INTERNAL SITES1-8 payload locations per site1-8 payload locations per site

74% OCCUPIED74% OCCUPIED

OVERALL EXTERNAL OVERALL EXTERNAL ACCOMMODATIONSACCOMMODATIONS

External Logistics Carriers – ELC-1, ELC-2, ELC-3, ELC-4 External Logistics Carriers – ELC-1, ELC-2, ELC-3, ELC-4 External Stowage Platforms – ESP-3External Stowage Platforms – ESP-3 Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer Columbus External Payload FacilityColumbus External Payload Facility Kibo External Payload FacilityKibo External Payload Facility

ELC-1ELC-1

ELC-3ELC-3ELC-2ELC-2

ESP-3ESP-3

ELC-4ELC-4

AMSAMS

23 EXTERNAL SITES

23 EXTERNAL SITES1-6 payload locations per site1-6 payload locations per site

75% OCCUPIED BY 2014

75% OCCUPIED BY 2014

35% OCCUPIED IN 201235% OCCUPIED IN 2012

ALPHA MAGNETIC ALPHA MAGNETIC SPECTROMETERSPECTROMETER

LAUNCHED 2011LAUNCHED 2011

ALPHA MAGNETIC ALPHA MAGNETIC SPECTROMETERSPECTROMETER

ATOMIC CLOCK ENSEMBLE IN SPACE ATOMIC CLOCK ENSEMBLE IN SPACE (ACES)(ACES)

LAUNCHING 2015LAUNCHING 2015JPL ground trapped ion mercury clock

Microwave Link Ground Terminal

MONITOR OF ALL-SKY X-RAY IMAGE MONITOR OF ALL-SKY X-RAY IMAGE (MAXI)(MAXI)

Graphic Source: Goddard Simulation of the Event, JAXA/Rikken, ISS Program Scientist, NASA

On March 28, 2011, the Japanese MAXI Payload aboard ISS detected an intense X-ray source emanating from the constellation Draco. Confirmed by NASA’s SWIFT telescope, the X-ray burst was the result of a black hole consuming a neighboring star nearly 3.9 billion light years away.

LAUNCHED 2009LAUNCHED 2009

COSMIC RAY ENERGETICS AND MASS COSMIC RAY ENERGETICS AND MASS (CREAM)(CREAM)

LAUNCHING 2014LAUNCHING 2014

SPACE ENVIRONMENT DATA ACQUISITION (SEDA-SPACE ENVIRONMENT DATA ACQUISITION (SEDA-AP)AP)

LAUNCHED 2009LAUNCHED 2009

STRATOSPHERIC AEROSOL AND GAS STRATOSPHERIC AEROSOL AND GAS EXPERIMENT-III (SAGE-III)EXPERIMENT-III (SAGE-III)

LAUNCHING 2014LAUNCHING 2014

SOLAR MONITORING ON COLUMBUS SOLAR MONITORING ON COLUMBUS (SOLAR)(SOLAR)

LAUNCHED 2008LAUNCHED 2008

A FULLY FUNCTIONAL SATELLITE A FULLY FUNCTIONAL SATELLITE BUSBUSExternal Truss SitesExternal Truss Sites

Mass: 11,000 lbsVolume: 30m2

Power: 3kW max, 113-126 VDCData: Low Rate: MIL-STD-1553 1Mbsp High Rate: 95 Mbps (shared)

Mass: 11,000 lbsVolume: 30m2

Power: 3kW max, 113-126 VDCData: Low Rate: MIL-STD-1553 1Mbsp High Rate: 95 Mbps (shared)

Japanese Experiment Module – Exposed FacilityJapanese Experiment Module – Exposed Facility

Power: 3kW max, 113-126 VDCData: Low Rate: MIL-STD-1553 <1Mbsp High Rate: 430 Mbps

Ethernet: 10 Mbps

Power: 3kW max, 113-126 VDCData: Low Rate: MIL-STD-1553 <1Mbsp High Rate: 430 Mbps

Ethernet: 10 Mbps

Volume: 1.5m2

Mass: 1,100 lbs Standard Site 5,500 lbs Large Site

Volume: 1.5m2

Mass: 1,100 lbs Standard Site 5,500 lbs Large Site

International Standard Payload Racks (Internal)International Standard Payload Racks (Internal)

Power: 3, 6, or 12kW114.5-126 VDC

Data: Low Rate: MIL-STD-1553 1Mbsp High Rate: 100 Mbps

Ethernet: 10 Mbps Video: NTSC

Gases: Nitrogen, Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Helium

Power: 3, 6, or 12kW114.5-126 VDC

Data: Low Rate: MIL-STD-1553 1Mbsp High Rate: 100 Mbps

Ethernet: 10 Mbps Video: NTSC

Gases: Nitrogen, Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Helium

Cooling: Moderate Temp: 16.1C – 18.3C Low Temp: 3.3C – 5.6CVacuum: Venting 10-3 torr in less than

2 hours for single payload of 100 liters

Vacuum Resource: 10-3 torr

CAPABILITY DRIVEN CAPABILITY DRIVEN EXPLORATIONEXPLORATION

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WAYSTATIONS IN SPACEWAYSTATIONS IN SPACE

Robotic/human cooperation

• Is Human exploration worth the cost?

• What does human exploration provide that Robotic exploration cannot provide?

• Ultimately why do we explore?

• Human exploration carries a burden life support, radiation management, etc.

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Why Are Humans Needed in the Exploration of the Solar System?

Given both that:

- Robots are expendable.

- Robots cannot be programmed for the Unknown.

It follows that:

- Robots can be sent out for initial reconnaissance into the Unknown without fear of loss.

- Humans can follow-up and discover what the robots missed. - This follow-up can be done more effectively with Humans working synergistically with robots on-site at a given Solar System destination, as opposed to humans operating remotely from Earth with long light-travel communication delay times.

Space radiation is comprised of high-energy protons and heavy nuclei, and secondary protons, neutrons, and heavy ions produced in shielding

• Unique damage to molecules, cells, and tissues occurs from heavy nuclei

• No human data to estimate risk

• Biology models must be applied or developed to estimate health risks

• Shielding has excessive costs and will not eliminate galactic cosmic rays (GCR)

Single GCR particles in cells and DNA breaks

Single GCR particles in photo-emulsionsLeaving visible images

THE SPACE RADIATION PROBLEMTHE SPACE RADIATION PROBLEM

• Galactic cosmic rays (GCR): penetrating protons and heavy nuclei - a biological science challenge– shielding is not effective– large biological uncertainties limits

ability to evaluate risks and effectiveness of mitigations

• Solar Particle Events (SPE): medium energy protons – a shielding, operational, and risk assessment challenge– shielding is effective; optimization

needed to reduce weight– improved understanding of

radiobiology needed to perform optimization

– accurate event alert and responses is essential for crew safety

GCR a continuum of ionizing radiation types

Solar particle events and the 11-yr solar cycle

GCR Charge Number

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

% C

on

trib

uti

on

0.001

0.01

0.1

1

10

100

Fluence (F)Dose = F x LETDose Eq = Dose x QF

SPACE RADIATION SPACE RADIATION ENVIRONMENTSENVIRONMENTS

Galactic cosmic-ray particles (GCR), which can induce

ionizing radiation damage, vary in flux intensity in the solar

system as a function of the 11 year solar cycle.

- Reduced GCR during solar maximum.

- Increased GCR during solar minimum.

As successive solar cycles also vary in strength, updates to GCR

radiation models are required for each solar cycle.

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), as a 10 year science

mission on the ISS, can provide useful GCR data for this

upcoming solar cycle..

AMS AND NASA RADIATION AMS AND NASA RADIATION SAFETYSAFETY

CURIOSITY RADIATION ASSESSMENT CURIOSITY RADIATION ASSESSMENT DETECTORDETECTOR

LANDED 2012LANDED 2012

Concluding Thoughts

• ISS is amazing international research facility– We need to maximize the use of this facility– ISS has a finite life and there needs to be an

emphasis on effective and creative utilization

• ISS supports discovery findings; Benefits for the people of Earth: and supports research needed for exploration of the solar system

• ISS and space exploration gives us a unique perspective and can have profound impacts on the people of the earth

• How can you utilize and be involved in ISS?

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