Technical Paper
Spacecraft Life Support System Design Guidelines for Human Exploration of the Moon and Mars
2005-07-11
2005-01-3008
Project Constellation incorporates a modular spiral design process initially intended to enable human travel to the moon with the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), including accommodations for landing and long-term surface habitation. The lunar activities will serve as a test bed for subsequent destinations such as Mars, near-Earth asteroids, or the outer planets; therefore, the requirements for meeting future expectations should also be anticipated to the extent possible in the early development spirals. To help advance this comprehensive goal, a process for conducting a ‘system-of-systems’ analysis was established. Individual mission elements were characterized for each distinct stage of travel to and from Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the moon, and Mars, including relevant surface operations.