80NSSC19K1052

To safely execute the human-exploration missions currently being proposed by NASA, the design of deep-space habitats requires a fundamentally disruptive approach. One that relies not only on traditional subsystem reliability engineering and probabilistic risk analysis, but on emergent technologies in autonomous systems, failure-tolerant design, human/automation teaming, dense sensor populations, data science, machine learning, robotic maintenance, and on-board manufacturing.

Accordingly, the Home STRI for deep space habitat design will synthesize the ideas and backgrounds of a uniquely experienced, diverse, and operationally pragmatic research team with initially-low TRL innovative technologies to provide a 5-year flow of research deliverables that comprise a new paradigm for resilient, autonomous, and self-maintained deep-space habitats for human explorers.

The scope of the Home STRI's research will be driven by the two primary operational requirements of deep-space habitats: 1) keep humans alive while they are resident, 2) keep the vehicle alive while they are not. The primary deliverable of the Home STRI research is a class of novel design methodologies, best practices, and analog-validated design tools.

Our approach will draw from function-based analysis of the spacecraft and task allocation options, from which a combination of current validated technologies extended significantly by modern developments in autonomy, system resilience, self-maintenance, robotics, and AI will be identified, evaluated, and demonstrated. This functional-needs based approach to smarthab design results in the following broad categories of research:

A. Autonomous functionality
B. Vehicle systems engineering functional requirements operations concept
C. Human habitability
D. Robust/reliable vehicle operability

Our guiding philosophy is intelligent application of smart-systems technology. Accordingly, in each of the above research topics, the Home STRI will incorporate state-of-the-art technologies (from the fields of spaceflight, aviation, manufacturing, building science, robotics, medicine) and then will push beyond current practice to formulate mission-relevant new research with a convergent focus on an intelligently-autonomous, functionally-driven, realistically-achievable habitat design.

Davis University Of California

TO SAFELY EXECUTE THE HUMAN-EXPLORATION MISSIONS CURRENTLY BEING PROPOSED BY NASA THE DESIGN OF DEEP-SPACE HABITATS REQUIRES A FUNDAMENTALLY DISRUPTIVE APPROACH ONE THAT RELIES NOT ONLY ON TRADITIONAL SUBSYSTEM RELIABILITY ENGINEERING AND PROBABILISTIC RISK ANALYSIS BUT ON EMERGENT TECHNOLOGIES IN AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS FAILURE-TOLERANT DESIGN HUMAN/AUTOMATION TEAMING DENSE SENSOR POPULATIONS DATA SCIENCE MACHINE LEARNING ROBOTIC MAINTENANCE AND ON-BOARD MANUFACTURING. ACCORDINGLY THE HOME STRI FOR DEEP SPACE HABITAT DESIGN WILL SYNTHESIZE THE IDEAS AND BACKGROUNDS OF A UNIQUELY EXPERIENCED DIVERSE AND OPERATIONALLY PRAGMATIC RESEARCH TEAM WITH INITIALLY-LOW TRL INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO PROVIDE A 5-YEAR FLOW OF RESEARCH DELIVERABLES THAT COMPRISE A NEW PARADIGM FOR RESILIENT AUTONOMOUS AND SELF-MAINTAINED DEEP-SPACE HABITATS FOR HUMAN EXPLORERS. THE SCOPE OF THE HOME STRI S RESEARCH WILL BE DRIVENBY THE TWO PRIMARY OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF DEEP-SPACE HABITATS: 1) KEEP HUMANS ALIVE WHILE THEY ARE RESIDENT 2) KEEP THE VEHICLE ALIVE WHILE THEY ARE NOT. THE PRIMARY DELIVERABLE OF THE HOME STRI RESEARCH IS A CLASS OF NOVEL DESIGN METHODOLOGIES BEST PRACTICES AND ANALOG-VALIDATED DESIGN TOOLS. OUR APPROACH WILL DRAW FROM FUNCTION-BASED ANALYSIS OF THE SPACECRAFT AND TASK ALLOCATION OPTIONS FROM WHICH A COMBINATION OF CURRENT VALIDATED TECHNOLOGIES EXTENDED SIGNIFICANTLY BY MODERN DEVELOPMENTS IN AUTONOMY SYSTEMRESILIENCE SELF-MAINTENANCE ROBOTICS AND AI WILL BE IDENTIFIED EVALUATED AND DEMONSTRATED. THIS FUNCTIONAL-NEEDS BASED APPROACHTO SMARTHAB DESIGN RESULTS IN THE FOLLOWING BROAD CATEGORIES OF RESEARCH: A. AUTONOMOUS FUNCTIONALITY B. VEHICLE SYSTEMS ENGINEERING FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OPERATIONS CONCEPT C. HUMAN HABITABILITY D. ROBUST/RELIABLE VEHICLE OPERABILITY. OUR GUIDING PHILOSOPHYIS INTELLIGENT APPLICATION OF SMART-SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY. ACCORDINGLY IN EACH OF THE ABOVE RESEARCH TOPICS THE HOME STRI WILL INCORPORATE STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGIES (FROM THE FIELDS OF SPACEFLIGHT AVIATION MANUFACTURING BUILDING SCIENCE ROBOTICS MEDICINE)AND THEN WILL PUSH BEYOND CURRENT PRACTICE TO FORMULATE MISSION-RELEVANT NEW RESEARCH WITH A CONVERGENT FOCUS ON AN INTELLIGENTLY-AUTONOMOUS FUNCTIONALLY-DRIVEN REALISTICALLY-ACHIEVABLE HABITAT DESIGN.

43.012 - Space Technology

Shared Services Center (NSSC) [NASA]

Davis, California 95618-6153 United States

Single Zip Code

80HQTR18NOA01-18ST

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 08/31/24 to 05/31/26 and the total obligations have increased 650% from $2,000,000 to $15,000,000.