Multi-Mission Suitability of the NASA Ames Modular Common Bus
- Paper number
IAC-09.B4.7.7
- Author
Mr. Sascha Tietz, Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies Inc., United States
- Coauthor
Dr. James Bell, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Ames Research Center, United States
- Coauthor
Dr. Butler Hine, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Ames Research Center, United States
- Year
2009
- Abstract
The obvious advantages of small spacecraft - their lower cost structure and the rapid development schedule - have enabled a large number of missions in the past. However, most of these missions have been focused on Earth observation from low Earth orbits. In 2006, the Small Spacecraft Division at the NASA Ames Research Center began the development of the Modular Common Bus, a spacecraft capable of delivering scientifically and technically useful payloads to a variety of destinations within 0.1 AU around the Earth. The core technologies used in the Common Bus design are a composite structure with body-mounted solar cells, an integrated avionics unit, and a high performance bipropellant propulsion system. Due to its modular approach, it can be adapted to fit specific mission needs while still using a standardized and qualified set of components. Additionally a number of low cost launch vehicles are supported, resulting in overall mission costs of around \$150M excluding the science payloads. This significant reduction in cost and the shorter development time would enable NASA to conduct more exploration missions within its budget and timeframe constraints, compared to the status quo. In this paper the suitability of the Common Spacecraft Bus for four different exploration scenarios is analyzed. These scenarios include a lunar orbiter, a lunar lander, a mission to a Sun-Earth Libration Point as well as a rendezvous mission to a Near Earth Object. For each scenario, a preliminary design reference mission is developed and key design parameters for the spacecraft are determined.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)