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SpaceNet

Simulation and modeling environment for space exploration logistics

Applications

Note: To run many of the examples you must increase the heap space available for Java on your system. This can be accomplished by running the following from the command line: java -Xmx512m (to increase maximum heap size to 512 MB). You may also have to reset the data source file path when the scenario is first opened.

Application Cases, Presented at AIAA Space 2011 (September 2011)

The following scenarios were presented at the AIAA Space 2011 conference in association with the following conference paper:

Grogan P. T., Yue H. K., and de Weck O. L., "Space Logistics Modeling and Simulation Analysis using SpaceNet: Four Application Cases," AIAA Space 2011 Conference and Exposition, Long Beach, California, 20-22 September, 2011.

These files are configured to be placed within the docs/ directory in a default SpaceNet download; however they can also be reconfigured by editing the Data Source and re-selecting the file path.

ISS Resupply, 2010-2015

Download: .zip (243.75 KB)

iss resupply network
ISS resupply network. Visualization of the launch and landing sites on Earth and the ISS's orbit. Yellow curves indicate flight transport edges with annotated cargo/payload capacities.

The space shuttle, or more formally Space Transportation System (STS), served as the workhorse for assembling the International Space Station (ISS). After its retirement in 2011, a combination of commercial and government vehicles will continue to maintain the crew and science operations aboard the ISS.

This first application case builds a model of the planned resupply operations between September 2010 and December 2015. It models the final assembly and subsequent resupply of the ISS using a combination of the remaining STS missions and the Orbital Science Cygnus, SpaceX Dragon, European Space Agency (ESA) Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), and Russian Space Agency (RKA) Progress and Soyuz vehicles.

Near-Earth Object, 1999 AO10 Sortie Mission

Download: .zip (29.76 KB)

neo sortie network
NEO sortie network. Visualization of the Earth-NEO network including space transport edges (red curves). Required delta-v values to complete transports and durations are indicated.

Concepts for human exploration to asteroids and other objects having similar orbits to Earth (collectively called near-Earth objects, or NEOs) have existed since as early as 1966. NEO mission concepts more recently gained attention as a way to improve technical readiness levels for advanced propulsion, in-space habitats and in-situ resource utilization systems while performing worthwhile scientific research.

This scenario investigates the feasibility of a two-crew, five-day exploration at NEO 1999-AO10. This particular NEO has a favorable launch opportunity within a conceivable timeline. Furthermore, prior research has explored the feasibility of such a mission using a modified crew exploration vehicle and Ares V heavy-lift launch vehicle. The goal of this scenario is to provide a high-level evaluation of the feasibility of such a mission.

Lunar Outpost Build-up

Download: .zip (49.59 KB)

lunar outpost network
Lunar outpost network. Visualization of the Earth-moon network. Yellow curves indicate flight transport edges with notated cargo/payload capacities. Green lines indicate surface transport edges with notated distances.

An extended lunar exploration leading to continuous human presence was one potential goal of NASA's Constellation program and a driving application case throughout the majority of the development of SpaceNet. Although exploration plans have since shifted with the cancellation of the Constellation program, an extended lunar exploration serves as an excellent case study of a campaign with significant element reuse and surface operations. In addition, due to the maturity of the campaign architecture, the modeled exploration benefits from detailed and realistic element models based on data developed with a reasonable amount of analysis.

As of late 2009 the working lunar surface architecture was Scenario 12, developed by the NASA Lunar Surface Systems Project Office (LSSPO) and the Constellation Architecture Team - Lunar (CxAT-Lunar). Scenario 12 evolved from the confluence of three scenarios: Scenario 4 (Optimized Exploration), Scenario 5 (Fission Surface Power System), and Scenario 8 (Initial Extensive Mobility). In Scenario 12, successive missions at a rate of about three per year deliver infrastructure components to an outpost, building up to full capability within six years.

This case models an extended lunar surface exploration similar to Scenario 12. As the existing scenario is well-researched, this analysis focuses on validation of the modeling framework rather than explicitly evaluating feasibility. Only the build-up of outpost elements at the Lunar South Pole will be modeled (omitting sortie missions to other locations) with two surface excursions to nearby locations.

Mars Exploration

Download: .zip (542.75 KB)

mars exploration network
Mars exploration campaign network. Red curves indicate propulsive transports, yellow curves indicate abstracted flight transports. Phobos and Deimos locations are selected for ease of visualization.

The "Flexible Path to Mars" is a concept to structure a campaign to explore the inner solar system while building up human experience and capability in deep space with the ultimate goal of landing humans on the surface of Mars. The particular locations and the sequence in which they are visited depend on uncertain factors such as future technological capabilities, scientific impetus, and political direction. This case focuses on the final stages of the exploration campaign, analyzing four possible missions which culminate in the ultimate goal of landing humans on the Martian surface.

Usability Scenarios, Presented at AIAA Space 2011 (September 2011)

The following scenarios were used during usability testing and presented at the AIAA Space 2011 conference in association with the following conference paper:

Grogan P. T., Lee C., and de Weck O. L., "Comparative Usability Study of Two Space Logistics Analysis Tools," AIAA Space 2011 Conference and Exposition, Long Beach, California, 20-22 September, 2011.

The two scenarios are used for replicating usability experiments under different conditions, namely the type of tools used to model and analyze exploration missions. Both scenarios include files for the SpaceNet tool and a Spreadsheet tool. In addition, each scenario includes two parts: part 1 seeks to create a new model of a cargo mission, while part 2 seeks to modify a model of an existing human exploration mission to improve an exploration effectiveness metric.

Scenario C - Constellation-class Lunar Mission

scenario c network
The Scenario C network includes exploration missions between the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and the Lunar South Pole (LSP).

Download: .zip (1081.25 KB)

This scenario analyzes aspects of a proposed mission to explore the Lunar South Pole in two parts:

scenario c missions bat chart
Part I (left) is a cargo resupply mission to lunar orbit and Part II (right) is a human exploration mission to the Lunar South Pole.

The downloadable file includes both SpaceNet and Spreadsheet (Excel) files. It is intended as a companion for Scenario D (below) for replications in usability experiments.

Scenario D - Apollo-class Lunar Mission

scenario d network
The Scenario D network includes exploration missions between the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Taurus-Littrow Valley (TLV).

Download: .zip (1085.86 KB)

This scenario analyzes aspects of a proposed mission to explore Taurus-Littrow Valley in two parts:

scenario d missions bat chart
Part I (left) is a checkout mission to lunar orbit and Part II (right) is a human exploration mission to Taurus-Littrow valley.

The downloadable file includes both SpaceNet and Spreadsheet (Excel) files. It is intended as a companion for Scenario C (above) for replications in usability experiments.

Mars Missions, Courtesy Howard Yue (June 2011)

Below is a set of SpaceNet scenario files with their associated Excel databases that model alternative future human/robotic Mars exploration missions, along with a brief description of the scenario modeled in each file. Detailed discussion of these scenarios can be found in:

Yue H. K., Propulsive and Logistical Feasibility of Alternative Future Human-Robotic Mars Exploration Architectures, S.M. Thesis, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, June 2011.

Shared Human and Robotic Mission to Mars

Download: .zip (37.71 KB)

This analysis is based on Cunio et al. 2010, which outlines a shared human and robotic mission to the Martian neighborhood. Astronauts remain in areostationary orbit (ASO) around Mars while robotic hoppers are sent to the Martian surface and conduct supervised exploration. Samples are collected by the hoppers and returned to the astronauts in ASO for transport back to Earth. While this is happening, a pair of astronauts perform sorties to the Martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, exploring the two satellites and also performing sample return. The in-space transporation elements are modeled on NASA's Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0.

Cunio, P.M., Cohanim, B.E., Corbin, B.A., Han, C.J., Lanford, E., and Yue, H.K. 2010. Shared Human and Robotic Landing and Surface Exploration in the Neighborhood of Mars. RASC-AL 2010 Design Competition. 2010.

Shared Human and Robotic Mars Mission (SHRMM) Chemical Variant

Download: .zip (97.46 KB)

This mission scenario is similar to the baseline SHRMM, except that the nuclear thermal rockets (NTR) are not used in favor of the Advanced Chemical Propulsion (ACP), as presented in NASA Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0.

Shared Human and Robotic Mission to Mars (SHRMM) No Cargo MTV #2 Variant

Download: .zip (36.83 KB)

This mission scenario is similar to the baseline SHRMM, except that an attempt is made to do away with the second Mars Transfer Vehicle (MTV) that carries cargo to Martian orbit.

One-Way Mars Mission

Download: .zip (204.61 KB)

This scenario analyzes a hypothetical one-way mission to the surface of Mars. A single astronaut is sent to the Martian surface and is resupplied from Earth of the course of 20 years.

This file requires SpaceNet 2.5r2 with refueling capabilities (Maintenance Release 1420).

Mars Exploration Campaign

Download: .zip (642.4 KB)

This scenario file analyzes a possible human Mars exploration campaign in line with the Flexible Path (as suggested in Augustine et al. 2009). The four missions that make up the campaign are:

  1. A robotic exploration mission tele-operated by astronauts in orbit around Mars.
  2. A two-sortie mission, one to Phobos and one to Deimos, based in areostationary orbit.
  3. A dedicated Phobos exploration mission.
  4. A human Mars surface mission.

This campaign is to represent a possible evolution and gradual buildup of missions that culminate in a Mars surface landing.

Augustine, N.R., Austin, W.M., Chyba, C., Kennel, C.F., Bejmuk, B.I., Crawley, E.F., Lyles, L.L., Chiao, L., Greason, J., and Ride, S.K. 2009. Seeking a Human Spaceflight Program Worthy of a Great Nation.

This file requires SpaceNet 2.5r2 with refueling capabilities (Maintenance Release 1420).

Application Case Studies, Courtesy Paul Grogan (September 2010)

Below is a set of SpaceNet scenario files with their associated Excel databases that model application case studies used during the development of SpaceNet 2.5. Detailed discussion of these scenarios can be found in:

Grogan, P. T., A Flexible, Modular Approach to Integrated Space Exploration Campaign Logistics Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis, S.M. Thesis, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, September 2010.

International Space Station Resupply, 2010-2015

Download: .zip (707.46 KB)

The goal of this case study is to model the final assembly and subsequent resupply of the ISS including all scheduled and expected flights through December 2015. Without sophisticated demand models to estimate demands for individual resources and spares, the analysis will focus on lumped mass demands by class of supply using parametric models for crew consumables and spares. The case study does not consider down-mass capability, improvements to launch vehicles or spacecraft capacities, resources pre-positioned at the ISS before 2010, differences between cargo types (e.g. dry, water, or gas), or individual crew rotations.

Near-Earth Object Sortie

Download: .zip (106.82 KB)

The feasibility of a 14-day exploration at NEO 1999 AO10 is considered for this case study due to a favorable launch opportunity within a conceivable timeline. Past research claims 1999 AO10 is reachable using Constellation program spacecraft with limited modifications including the Orion crew exploration vehicle and Ares V heavy lift launch vehicle. The target of analysis is to evaluate the feasibility of such a mission and to propose modifications if required.

Lunar Outpost Buildup

Download: .zip (470.49 KB)

The focus of this case is to model the surface exploration similar to what is planned under Scenario 12. As the existing scenario is well-researched, this analysis will help validate the modeling framework rather than explicitly evaluating feasibility. Both sortie missions to the surface locations of interest and the build-up of outpost elements at the Lunar South Pole will be modeled. In addition, two excursions from the outpost are modeled in detail, one short-distance excursion to the Malapert crater using two LERs over approximately one week, and one long-distance excursion to the Schrodinger Crater using two ATHLETEs over approximately 60 days.

Mars Exploration

Download: .zip (547.14 KB)

This case study is focused on determining the in-space propulsive feasibility to deliver surface elements required by Design Reference Architecture 5.0 and identifying driving factors to manage logistics feasibility for a crew of six. Surface operations are not modeled in detail, though there would be significant interest in future analysis to study two-week surface excursions using pressurized rovers.