FISO Telecon 04-08-15

A CREWED MARS EXPLORATION ARCHITECTURE

USING FLYBY AND RETURN TRAJECTORIES
Andrew S.W. Thomas

NASA Astronaut, Explora1on Branch, Astronaut Oce, NASA Johnson Space Center

Cesar A. Ocampo

Senior Engineer, Odyssey Space Research LLC., NASA Johnson Space Center

Damon F. Landau

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Ins1tute of Technology

These are part of the results of an internal NASA-JSC study with NASA-JPL
collaboration titled The Mars Lite Study
Presentation given by: C. Ocampo and D. Landau
This presentation is not a stand-alone presentation document. It requires narration.

2015 All rights reserved

Inspira1on Mars Founda1on

Aims to launch a manned mission to
y by Mars in by 2021
Founda1on claims that space
explora+on provides a catalyst
for growth, na+onal prosperity,
knowledge and global leadership.
By taking advantage of this window of
opportunity, the Inspira1on Mars
Founda1on intends to revitalize
interest in science, technology,
engineering and mathema+cs
(STEM) educa+on.
hPp://www.inspira1onmars.org/

Figure Only: EME-Inspiration Mars Foundation.

(in case next slide video does not work for some)

Video: EME-Inspiration Mars Foundation. Click center of screen once to start.

Figure Only: EME-Inspiration Mars Foundation Fly Around.

(in case next slide video does not work for some)

Video: EME-Inspiration Mars Foundation Fly Around. Click center of screen once to start.

Single Flyby Mission: fast in-and-out

Ballistic single flyby
Pass.

dip in
and out

Speed up

Catch up

Figure Only: Single Flyby Mission: fast in-and-out: (in case next slide video does not work for some)

Video: Single Flyby Mission: fast in-and-out: Click center of screen once to start.

Solu1on: Use Low Energy Flyby and Return Trajectories

with Two Flyby Events

Inherit natural abort op1on

The two yby events separated by months
Place massive transit habitat(s) on these trajectories
eliminate inser_on and departure of massive assets into and out of
Mars Orbit
1st yby event is used to drop o a crew taxi
2nd yby event picks-up and uses a hyperbolic rendezvous
for Earth return
Assume Mars Stay Habitat has been Pre-deployed at Mars
Favor launch, en-route maneuvers, Earth arrival speeds over transit
10
>mes. Assume no new major technology development.

Work summarized and presented as paper AAS 15-372 at the

25th AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Mee1ng, Williamsburg, VA, January 2015

11

Mars Free Returns

Damon Landau

12

Broad Search of Mars Free-Returns

Search parameters
Launch 20152052
Maximum ight 1me: 1200 days
Maximum Launch V: 7 km/s
Maximum Arrival V: 9 km/s
Minimum Mars yby al1tude: 300 km
Heliocentric revolu1ons between encounters: 0 or 1
Number of gravity assists: 1 or 2
Parameters specic to Star algorithm
Time step for encounter dates: 3 days
Maximum V at yby: 20 m/s
V step for 180 transfers: 20 m/s

13

Trajectory Search Methodology

1. Grid up Earth, Mars, and Earth
encounter 1mes
2. Calculate outbound & inbound legs
independently

Launch
Dates
V < 7 km/s

Mars Flyby
V < 20 m/s
Alt > 300 km

Earth
Return
V < 9 km/s

2015

3. Filter on low V to match in & out V at

Mars
3-day

Turns a 3-D search into two 2-D searches increments

720M sequences considered with only 7.3M

trajectory computa1ons (Lambert ts)

44,725 trajectories met all constraints

2052
Flight time < 1200 d
V constraint violated
Time node deleted

14

Double-Flyby Free-Returns
EMME, EMVE, EVME
sequences in single run

Launch
Mars or
Mars or
Earth
Dates
Venus
Venus
Return
V < 7 km/s V < 20 m/s V < 20 m/s V < 9 km/s

Transform 4-D search

into three 2-D searches

2015

280B sequences
assessed with only
27M trajectory ts

3-day
increments

1,425 trajectories met

all constraints

2052
Flight time < 1200 d

15

Building Mul1ple Flybys

Flyby V calcula1on builds trajectory segments with three encounters:
departure body to yby body (incoming leg) and yby body to arrival body
(outgoing leg).
The outgoing legs for one trajectory segment match with the incoming legs to
another trajectory segment.
Launch
Dates

Mars or
Venus

Mars or
Venus

Launch
Dates

Mars or
Venus

Mars or
Venus

Earth
Return

=
+

Earth
Return

16

Flight Times

Trajectories in black also satisfy Trans-Mars Injection V < 4.5 km/s and Earth entry < 12.5 km/s

17

Launch Opportuni1es

Trajectories in black also satisfy Trans-Mars Injection V < 4.5 km/s and Earth entry < 12.5 km/s

18

3:2 Resonance Free Returns

19

2:1 Resonance Free Returns

20

Short Flight Time

21

Double Mars Flyby

22

Venus Flybys

23

con1nue

Using Free Returns for
extended Human Mars
Explora1on missions

24

Determine how to use 2 yby events

?
25

Solu1on 1: Dual Habitat Concept

Sketch credited
to Ryan Whitley
(JSC)

OTH = Outbound Transit Habitat RTH = Return Transit Habitat

26

Solu1on 2: Loiter Habitat Concept

Sketch credited
to Ryan Whitley
(JSC)

27

Used

Copernicus:
A Generalized
Trajectory Design and
Op_miza_on System

Developed jointly between

the University of Texas and
the NASA Johnson Space
Center (2001-present)
Hosted at NASA-JSC
Current Development at JSC
Current Lead Developer:
Jacob Williams, ERC-NASA-
JSC, Houston, Texas

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/copernicus/

28

Impulsive Gravity Assist to Real Flyby Conversion

29

Impulsive Gravity Assist to Real Flyby Conversion

30

Figure Only: Initial Guess for

An Earth-Venus-Mars-Earth
Free Return. Animation on
next slide.
Earth
Depart
Mars
Flyby

Venus
Flyby

Earth
Arrive

31

Video: EVME Trajectory Construction Iteration Sequence.

Click center of screen once to start.

32

Dual Habitat Model

Uses an Earth-Mars conjunc1on class trajectory for the Outbound Habitat
and an Earth-Mars-Earth Flyby and Return Trajectory for the Return Habitat

Crew Taxi
Drop-o and
Transfer to a
1-Sol Orbit

1-Sol Orbit
Departure and
Hyperbolic
Rendezvous with
Return Habitat

Low energy conjunc1on class

3:2 Resonant Earth-Mars-Earth Free Return Trajectory
Earth-Mars
(Habitat orbits Sun twice while the Earth orbits Sun 3 1mes

33

33

2039

RTH
OTH

2040

2041

Earth
Dep.

Mars
Fly by

2042

2043

Earth
Arr.

Crew at Mars
Earth
Dep.

Mars
Fly by

RTH
Mars Flyby
10/21/2041
RTH
E-M-E Trajectory
(3:2 Resonant w/Earth)

OTH
Mars Arrival
06/21/2040

OTH
Earth Departure
10/13/2039

RTH
Earth Departure
06/04/2039
RTH Earth Arrival
05/13/2042

34

RTH Mars Flyby

Pickup, Hyperbolic
Rendezvous

Figure Only: Dual Habitat Model

Animation on next slide

OTH
Mars
Arrive

OTH
Earth
Depart

RTH
Earth
Arrive
RTH
Earth
Depart

35

Video: Dual Habitat Model Animation. Click center of screen once to start.

36

Dual Habitat Model

37

Loiter Habitat Model

Uses an Earth-Mars-Mars-Earth Flyby and Return Trajectory
Mars Flyby 1 to Mars Flyby 2

Loiter Leg

Crew Taxi
Drop-o and
Transfer to a
1-Sol Orbit

1-Sol Orbit
Departure and
Hyperbolic
Rendezvous with
Loiter Habitat

38
In live discussion point out the key features/pros/cons

39

39

Video: Loiter Hab Mars Centered Iteration Sequence. Click center of screen once to start.

40

Figure only: Converged Solution of previous slide video.

41

Figure: Mars Arrival

Flyby-Loiter-Mars
Departure Flyby
42

Figure only: Loiter Hab Mode;. (in case next slide video does not work for some)

43

Video: Loiter Hab Model Animation. Click center of screen once to start.

44

Figure Only: Loiter Hab Model Fly Around. (in case next slide video does not work for some)

45

Video: Loiter Hab Model Fly Around. Click center of screen once to start.

46

Loiter Habitat Model

47

Departure

Earth
Mars
Transit

Mars
Mars
Transit

Mars
Earth
Transit

Total
Mission
Duration

Earth
Departure
V

Mars
Fly-by1
V

Mars
Fly-by2
V

Earth
Arrival
V

Total
En-route
V

date

day

day

day

day

km/s

km/s

km/s

km/s

km/s

6 Aug 2020

399

325

303

1028

3.794

2.550

3.018

4.714

1.676

8 Sep 2022

380

311

320

1010

3.673

2.573

2.887

3.787

0.621

05 Oct 2024

348

305

325

976

3.335

2.555

2.721

3.018

0.000

27 Nov 2026

280

303

358

941

4.000

2.942

2.989

3.546

0.126

29 Dec 2028

252

305

366

923

4.000

3.746

3.505

4.609

0.205

13 Feb 2031

223

321

379

924

4.000

3.804

3.251

4.317

0.515

31 Mar 2033

218

358

346

922

4.000

3.703

3.108

4.410

1.100

22 Jul 2035

364

346

213

923

4.000

3.100

3.737

3.884

0.856

10 Sep 2037

370

317

234

921

4.000

3.178

3.669

4.118

0.195

3 Oct 2039

367

305

267

939

3.530

2.852

3.041

4.045

0.000

21 Oct 2041

341

302

338

981

3.159

2.635

2.647

3.268

0.000

15 Oct 2043

331

303

381

1016

4.000

2.782

2.666

3.630

0.495

22 Jan 2046

244

315

375

934

4.000

3.762

3.289

4.227

0.477

13 Mar 2048

219

343

360

923

4.000

3.877

3.214

4.453

0.775

7 Jul 2050

347

361

209

917

4.000

3.046

3.606

3.721

1.068

Drop-O from and Rendezvous with Transi_ng (Loiter) Habitat

48

Drop-O from and Rendezvous with Transi_ng (Loiter) Habitat

49

1st maneuver: capture, coast to apoapsis

50

2nd maneuver: plane change, coast to periapsis

51

3rd maneuver: capture into op1mal 1-Sol Orbit Mars Stay

52

4th, 5th maneuver: depart and do Hyperbolic

Rendezvous

Total In-and-Out DV cost = 2.308 km/s (Oct 2039)

(this ranges from 2.1 to 3.1 for all 15 Loiter Habitat Solu_ons) 53

Figure Only: Mars centered transfers, iteration sequence. (in case next slide video does not work
for some)

54

Video: Mars centered transfers, iteration sequence. Click center of screen once to start.

55

All Dual-Habitat, Loiter-Habitat Solu1ons require same type

of Mars Centered Maneuvering

Note orienta_on of the 1-Sol Orbit

56

Figure only: Capture-Departure Geometry Fly Around.

(in case next slide video does not work for some)

57

Video: Capture-Departure Geometry Fly Around. Click center of screen once to start.

58

Figure only: Departure, Hyperbolic Rendezvous. (in case next slide video does not work for some)

59

Video: Departure, Hyperbolic Rendezvous. Click center of screen once to start.

60

One chance to catch the train ride home.

(image credit: The Darjeeling Limited, Fox Searchlight Pictures)

61

Solu_on 3: Hybrid Dual Loitering Habitat Model

Four Flyby Events

62

63

Six E-M-M-E Mission Possibili_es for the Hybrid Dual-Loitering Habitat Strategy

64

65

Dual Loitering Habitat Model: Maneuver Data and Performance

66

Concluding Remarks...
!

Stair-step approach: Flyby-only, orbital, surface access,

access to Phobos, Deimos
Launch vehicle (Space Launch System) requirements
(ongoing work, paper TBP August 2015, Whitley et al.)
-

Dual Habitat Model: Requires 3 SLS Block 2B Launches

Loiter Habitat Model: Requires 2 SLS Block 2B Launches

Inser1on-Departure to and from op1mal 1-Sol Orbit is

feasible
Pre-deployment of Mars Stay Assets yet to be addressed
(ongoing)
Sensi1vity studies of Hyperbolic Rendezvous wrt to
delays, o-engine performance (ongoing work, paper TBP August 2015,
Jedrey et al.)

67

Thank you
Thanks also to the other members of the NASA JSC-JPL
Mars Lite Study Team

John Aitchison
Lora Bailey
Joe Caram
Bret Drake
Ricky Jedrey
Kent Joosten
Stan Love
Fay Mckinney
Nathan Strange/JPL
Brenda Ward
Ryan Whitley

68