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Paul D. SpudisLunar and Planetary Institute
NASA Alumni League4 August, 2014
The Value of the Moonand the Critical Importance of Cislunar Space
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What Kind of Space Program?
Space program originated and grew inresponse to geopolitical pressures
We subsequently found it useful forother purposes (technicalinnovation, national drama)
Despite the documented practical valueof space, we are still wedded to PRstunts as goals
Space must be relevant to nationalscientific, economic, and securityneeds
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What’s Our Objective in Space?Contrary to conventional wisdom, it should
not simply be “Humans to Mars”That is just one of many different
objectivesApollo-like program and architecture is
likely to suffer the same type ofending
The ability to go anywhere, for anylength of time, to do whatever job wecan imagineFreedom of movement throughout the
Solar SystemAs long as we are limited to only what
we can launch from Earth, we willremain mass- and power-limited inspace than therefore, capability-limited
Analogy should be to seafaring, notaviation
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So What’s the Problem Then?
Spaceflight is difficultThe Tyranny of the Rocket EquationReaching LEO with empty fuel tanks
Spaceflight is expensiveAccelerating tons of mass to Mach 25 and
lifting it hundreds of kmPrecision machining, complex avionics,
difficult-to-work materialsRequires numerous man-hours of work
Spaceflight is barely possibleIf radius of Earth were 50% larger, the energy
in chemical bonds would not be sufficientto reach orbit
The benefits of spaceflight are notintuitively obviousHuman destiny, species survival, “Because
it’s there..” are not typical justifications formassive amounts of federal spending
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Our DilemmaHumans in space for more than 50
years, but template has notchangedLaunch, use, discardNo permanent space-based
infrastructureConsumables (propellant, life
support) must be lifted out ofthe deepest gravity well in theinner Solar System
An alternative modelSpace-centric, not Earth-centricMaterials and energy supplied
from local resourcesContinuously expanding sphere of
human reachWide variety of activities, not just
science or exploration
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Or to put it another way….
If our ultimate goal in space is togo anywhere, anytime with asmuch capability as we need…
And our spacecraft are mass- andpower-limited and thus,capability-limited…
And they will remain so as long aswe are restricted to what canbe lifted out of Earth’s gravitywell…
And this restriction negativelyimpacts scientific capabilities,economic health, and nationalsecurity…
Then to extend reach and capability, we must learn touse what we find in space to create new space faring
capabilities
Cislunar Space: The Zone Between Earth and MoonEarth, LEO, HEO, GTO, GEO, 5 Libration points, LLO, Moon Surface
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Why is Cislunar Space Important?
All of our space assets are incislunar:LEO – wide variety of
commercial, government,NGO platforms and assets.Half-way to anywhere inspace
MEO – GPS constellationGEO – comsats, weather,
remote-sensing, nationalreconnaissance
HEO – space surveillance,strategic assets
L-points – scientific platforms,telescopes, staging areas
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What are Our National Interests in Space?
Economic – communications,weather, mapping, resourceprospecting, navigation
Scientific – Earth science,space weather and physics,astronomy, spaceenvironment
Security – national technicalmeans (surveillance),strategic and tactical militarysupport, situationalawareness, asteroid impactand collision mitigation
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Historical Analogy for Cislunar Space:Alfred Thayer Mahan and The Influence of Sea Power on History (1890)
Mahan studied history of the rise andfall of nations
Nations who controlled the seacontrolled their destiny
The converse was also truePower projection is morally neutral; it
can be for the benefit of and tothe detriment of nations
Power projection by “benevolent”nations such as UK and USAguaranteed freedom ofcommerce for the world
Conversely, abrogation of thisresponsibility would leave worldopen to tyranny
The Great White Fleet, 1907
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What Other Entities are or will be Present inCislunar Space?
Nationals – other countries withspace programs (e.g., Majors:Russia, China, India, Japan)other players: North Korea, Iran,Israel)
Internationals – cooperativeefforts of multiple nations (e.g.,ESA)
NGO – non-governmentalconsortia and coalitions (mostlynon-flight at this point)
Corporate – markets andindustries with specific spaceapplication needs andobjectives
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What is Space Presence and Control?Presence is the ability to be at a remote
location and conduct useful tasksthere; it may not require physicalpresence by people (roboticpresence can substitute in somecases)
Control is the ability to protect your ownspace assets and deny the use of anadversary’s assets
The latter implies the former, thus, bothare desirable
Accepting this principle is NOT“weaponization” of space; assetscan be disabled or denied withoutweapons
You are space powerful or space vulnerable
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China’s Space ProgramAccomplishments and Aspirations
China has demonstrated significantspaceflight capability
Robotic: orbit, rendezvous, proximityoperations, station keeping and longloiter, travel at will throughout cislunarspace
Human: orbit, rendezvous, docking,assembly, EVA; possess capabilitiesUSA had in mid- to late 1960s
Lunar: travel to Moon, insertion intoprecision orbit, long-life in lunar orbit(inherently unstable), departure fromMoon, dwell at L-point, solar orbit andasteroid encounter
Significance: China has demonstratedmastery of cislunar flight, longlifetimes, orbital maneuvering andtransit, proximity ops, situationalawareness and long-term planning
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Is China a Threat to American Interests in Space?
PotentiallyMost of what China is doing is not
inherently threatening or bellicose, butall accomplishments to date are “dualuse”
Existing programs are secretive; programis run by PLA (Chinese military)
American absence is the issue; powervacuum is always filled and if we arenot present, it may be filled by entitiesnot favorably oriented toward ourvalues and beliefs
Long-lived Chinese spacecraft could“dwell” in cislunar, available toneutralize any space asset with veryshort notice
China has proven their determination topursue their program systematicallyand relentlessly
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How Should We Respond to Others’Accomplishments in Cislunar Space?
Be there: a strong American presence incislunar space
Make cislunar space the direction andcritical operational theater for Americanspace efforts in the coming twodecades
Develop a modular, incremental spaceflightsystem in cislunar, with both robotic andhuman components
Goal is the permanent, “at will” presence ofmachines and people throughout all ofcislunar space
Robotically operated, human-tended lunaroutpost is immediate goal, with aim ofdeveloping the technology andprocesses to use the material andenergy resources of the Moon to createnew spaceflight capabilities
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Other Considerations
Those who play make the rules– if we abandon cislunarspace, there is no assurancethat a market-based systemwill develop there
This goal and implementationlays technical groundworkand physical infrastructure togo to the planets, so it is NOTa “distraction” from Mars orany other space objectives
Both science and economicbenefits will follow, improvinglife on Earth
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Space faring: Changing the RulesCurrent template
Custom-built, self-contained, mission-specific spacecraft
Launch on expendable vehiclesOperate for set lifetimeAbandon after useRepeat, repeat, repeat
New templateIncremental, extensible building blocksExtract material and energy resources of
space to use in spaceLaunch only what cannot be fabricated or
built in space (smart mass)Build and operate flexible, modular,
extensible in-space systemsMaintain, expand and use indefinitely
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The Value of Space to Modern LifeModern industrial civilization depends
critically on numerous satellite assetsin high orbits above LEO:GPS and navigationGlobal communicationsRemote sensing, weatherSurveillance and national security
assetsWe cannot access those satellites to
maintain them or to build large,distributed space systems
If we could access those satellites withhumans and robots, new capabilitiesfrom space assets could be created,ensuring ourselves a better quality oflife, a bigger and stronger economy,and a more secure world
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Lessons from Shuttle and Station ProgramsLarge, distributed systems too big
to be launched from Earth canbe assembled in space
Humans and machines workingtogether can assemble, serviceand maintain complex spacesystems
Applying this paradigm to trans-LEO (cislunar) space requiresdevelopment of a transportationsystem that is affordable,extensible, and reusable
Developing the resources of the Moon enables thecreation of such a system (if you can reach the lunar
surface, you can access any other point in cislunar space)
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Why the Moon?Close
Three days away and easilyaccessible (as near as GEO)
Transport system to Moon can alsoaccess GEO, cislunar, Earth-SunLagrangians, and some asteroids
InterestingMoon contains a record of planetary
history, evolution and processesunavailable for study on Earth orelsewhere
UsefulRetire risk to future planetary missions
by re-acquiring experience andtesting with lunar missions
Development of lunar resources haspotential to be a majoradvancement in space logisticscapability
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The Value of the MoonProximity
The Moon is in Earth orbit and thusconstantly accessible from Earth;multiple launch windows alwaysavailable
Ease of accessΔv LEO to lunar surface ~6 km/s (to
martian surface ~10 km/s)Transit time: 3-5 daysTransit using WSB: weeks
Multiple options for mission abort andrapid Earth return
Round-trip light time permits near-realtime control of machines fromoperators on Earth
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The Value of the MoonUtility
Material resourcesBulk regolith (shielding, ceramics,
aggregate for construction)Metals (iron, aluminum, titanium)Water (chemically unbound)
Energy resourcesAreas near poles in quasi-
permanent sunlight, close towater deposits
Environmental resourcesThermal cold traps (~30-40 K)Hard vacuum (10-12 torr)Fractional gravity (0.17 Earth)
Operational resourcesPlanetary environment to learn
optimal exploration strategiesTechnology test-bed for planetary
surface systems
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Goals and PrinciplesExtend human reach beyond LEO by
creating a permanent, extensiblespace faring infrastructure
Use the material and energy resourcesof the Moon to create this system
Lunar return by small, incremental,cumulative steps
Proximity of Moon permits progress priorto human arrival via roboticteleoperations
Innovative space systems: fuel depots,robotics, ISRU, reusable spacecraft,staging nodes
Fit within reasonable budget (existingfraction of NASA budget for humanexploration, ~ $7 B/year)
Schedule is free variable; constant,steady progress but no deadlines
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Architectural ImplicationsUse robotic flights to acquire strategic
knowledge and emplace assetsrobotic missions are not just for
scienceCommonality of hardware, systems,
procedures between robotic andhuman flight elementstest human flight components on
robotic missionsLocate “high grade” lunar resources
and build human habitats nearbyconcentrated resources (e.g., polar
ice) are easiest to use; focus onthem first
Build up infrastructure in a singlelocation to create capability rapidlyForget sorties: pick the site and build
up an outpost
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MissionCreate a permanent human-tended lunar outpost
to harvest water and make propellantApproach
Small, incremental, cumulative stepsRobotic assets first to document resources,
demonstrate production methodsTeleoperation of robotic mining equipment from
Earth. Emplace and build outpost assetsremotely
Use existing LV, HLV if it becomes availableCost and Schedule
Fits under existing run-out budget (< $7B/year, 16years, aggregate cost $88 B, real-year dollars)
Resource processing outpost operational halfwaythrough program (after 18 missions); endstage after 30 missions: 150 mT water/yearproduction
BenefitsPermanent space transportation systemRoutine access to all cislunar space by people
and machinesExperience living and working on another world
An Affordable Lunar Return Architecture
P.D. Spudis and A.R. Lavoie (2011) Using the Resources of theMoon to Create a Permanent Cislunar Space Faring System. Space2011 Conf, Long Beach CA, AIAA 2011-7185, 24 pp.
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Initial Steps
1. Communication/navigation satellitesPolar areas out of constant Earth LOS;
need comm, positional knowledge2. Polar prospecting rovers
Study and characterize water deposits,other substances, environment
3. ISRU demoHeat icy regolith to extract water; purify
and store as ice in cold traps4. Digger/Hauler rovers
Excavate regolith, transport feedstock tofixed stations for water extraction
5. Water tankersPurify and store extracted water
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Next Steps
6. Electrolysis unitsCrack water into hydrogen and oxygen;
liquefy into cryogens7. Supporting equipment
Robotic Landers - medium (500 kgpayload), heavy (2 mT payload)
Power plants - extendable solar arrays,steerable on vertical axis to track sun atpoles
Cryo storage - store LOX, LH2 (use coldtraps, 25 K)
Material Fabricators - Process regolith forrapid prototype products and parts
8. Space-based assetsLEO depot - fuel lunar departure stagesLLO depot - staging node for reusable
cargo and human landers
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HumanLander (HL) Zone
Blast Berm
Blast Berm
Beacons
Beacons
HL SupportCart
RL Support Cart
Communication Terminal
Habitation Zone
Robotic Lander(RL) Zone
Pressurized Transfer Vehicle
Unpressurized ISRU Lab
Living Cluster
Regolith Waste
Outpost Layout Concept
PropellantProcessing Zone
Water Ice Deposit
Robot miners
Solar array panels
Mining Zone
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Program SummaryCreate a permanent, cislunar space
transportation system based upon theharvest and use of lunar water
Most infrastructure is emplaced andoperated robotically; people comewhen facilities and budgets are ready
Small incremental steps that build uponeach other and work together
Progress continually made, regardless ofbudgetary issues in any given year
Incremental approach greatly facilitatesboth commercial and internationalparticipation
Cislunar system created here is a“transcontinental railroad” in space,opening up the space frontier
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Ways and Means
NASA budget flat for 40 yearsNo evidence that future budgets will be any betterThus, we must do with what we have
Given this, is Mars 2035 possible?
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Value Returned for Money SpentCreate an extensible, reusable cislunar
space transportation system basedaround the use of the resources of theMoon
Such a space transportation system has theinherent capability to take us to theplanets
Obtain a permanent foothold on anotherplanetary body (the Moon) for the firsttime in human history
Develop the means to build large, high-power distributed space systems toserve a variety of national andinternational economic, scientific andsecurity objectives
Become a true space-faring species;learning to use off-planet resources isthe first step of settlement
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The Moon: An Enabling AssetA testing and training ground for
future human missionsDevelop and test technology,
equipment and flight elements onMoon and in cislunar space
Rehearse mission operations, simulateconditions, practice contingencyprocedures
Learn how to best explore planetarysurfaces with an optimum mix ofhumans and robots
A logistics depot for continuingspaceflight capabilityWater, the most useful substance for
spaceflight, available in quantityNear-continuous power from sunlight
near lunar polesPresence in Earth orbit assures routine,
continuous and easy access fromEarth and variety of locations incislunar space
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What Kind of Space Program?Two Visions
“A spectacular series of space ‘firsts’”(Augustine report, 2009)Launch, use and discardEverything comes up from EarthOne-off, PR “stunt” missionsAccomplish the feat and cancel the programFlags and footprints foreverCostly and subject to political and fiscal
winds of changeBecome a true space faring species
Reusable, maintainable, extensible spacesystems
Incremental, cumulative, steady progressionoutward
Fit under any budget envelope; return valuefor money spent
Government develops and demostechnology; commerce follows
Create a permanent and expanding spacetransportation infrastructure
Less glitter, more substance
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Space – A New Rationale“If God wanted man to become a space-faring species, He would have given
man a Moon.” – Krafft Ehricke
Explore to broaden ourknowledge and imaginationbase
Prosper by using the unlimitedenergy and materials of spaceto increase our wealth
Secure our nation and theworld by using the assets ofspace to protect the planet andourselves