1. CYLICAL VISITS TO MARS VIA
ASTRONAUT HOTELS
Presentation to the NASA Institute of
Advanced Concepts (NIAC)
2000 Annual Meeting
by
Kerry T. Nock
Global Aerospace Corporation
June 7, 2000
Global
Aerospace Corporation
2. Cyclical Visits to Mars via Astrotels
Global
Aerospace Corporation TOPICS
• MOTIVATION
• OVERVIEW
• SIGNIFICANCE
• SUMMARY
Global Aerospace Corporation 2 KTN - June 7, 2000
3. Cyclical Visits to Mars via Astrotels
Global
Aerospace Corporation
CONCEPT MOTIVATION
Global Aerospace Corporation 3 KTN - June 7, 2000
4. Cyclical Visits to Mars via Astrotels
Global
Aerospace Corporation CONCEPT MOTIVATION
• Create Permanent Elements of a Mars Transportation
System
• Take Advantage of Natural Orbital Physics to Facilitate
Mars Transportation
• Eliminate Need for New, Expensive Class of Rockets
• Offer Environmentally Safe Technology, Without Political
Baggage, for Transportation to and From Mars
• Accelerate the Timeframe for Permanent Inhabitation of
Mars
• Increase Reliance on in situ Resources for Mars
Transportation Architecture
Global Aerospace Corporation 4 KTN - June 7, 2000
6. Cyclical Visits to Mars via Astrotels
Global
Aerospace Corporation KEYS TO THE CONCEPT
• Cycler orbits between Earth and Mars that enable fast, frequent
transfers between these planets
• Astronaut Hotels, or Astrotels, which are small transport vehicles
capable of carrying 10 people on cycling orbits between planets
• Orbital Spaceports at the planets
• Very small, fast, hyperbolic transfer vehicles, or Taxis, between
Spaceports and Astrotels.
• Propellant and life support in situ resource manufacturing plants
• Cargo vehicles that utilize low-energy, long-flighttime orbits to
transport propellant and low value cargo to and from planets
• Shuttles to and from Spaceports and planetary surfaces
Global Aerospace Corporation 6 KTN - June 7, 2000
7. Cyclical Visits to Mars via Astrotels
Global
Aerospace Corporation ALDRIN CYCLERS
Global Aerospace Corporation 7 KTN - June 7, 2000
8. Cyclical Visits to Mars via Astrotels
Global
Aerospace Corporation EXAMPLE ALDRIN
UP-CYCLER SEQUENCE
E3 E1
M2
M4
Global Aerospace Corporation 8 KTN - June 7, 2000
9. Cyclical Visits to Mars via Astrotels
Global
Aerospace Corporation DOWN ESCALATOR EXAMPLE
Phobos
Mars
Mars
Spaceport
Taxi
Aldrin Down Cycler
Mission Profile
Astrotel
Aldrin Down
Cycler
Trajectory
Propulsive Delta-Vs
L1 Earth
Spaceport
Taxi
Moon
Aerocapture
Maneuver Earth
Global Aerospace Corporation 9 KTN - June 7, 2000
10. Cyclical Visits to Mars via Astrotels
Global
Aerospace Corporation UP ESCALATOR EXAMPLE
ASTROTEL
EARTH
SPACEPORT
MOON
FUEL
EARTH
SHUTTLE
MARS
TAXI
SPACEPORT
PHOBOS
< 1 week
TAXI
5 months
GRAVITY ASSIST
DELTA-V
< 1 week
AEROCAPTURE
EARTH MARS
FUEL
MARS
SHUTTLE
Global Aerospace Corporation 10 KTN - June 7, 2000
11. Cyclical Visits to Mars via Astrotels
Global
Aerospace Corporation ASTROTEL CONCEPT
Solar Arrays
Solar
Electric
Engines
Propulsion
Tanks
Crew Habitat
• In Cyclic Orbits Between Earth and Mars
• Solar Electric Propulsion for Orbit Corrections
• Untended for More Than 20 Out of 26 Months
• No Artificial Gravity
Global Aerospace Corporation 11 KTN - June 7, 2000
13. Cyclical Visits to Mars via Astrotels
Global
Aerospace Corporation SIGNIFICANCE OF
CONCEPT TO NASA
• Facilitates Human Exploration to Mars and Beyond
• Assists the Expansion of Scientific Knowledge by
Providing Ready Access to Mars by Scientists
• Provides Safe, Frequent and Affordable Access to Mars
• Creates a Significant Element of the Transportation
Architecture Thus Contributing to the Establishment of a
Permanent Human Presence on Mars
Global Aerospace Corporation 13 KTN - June 7, 2000
15. Cyclical Visits to Mars via Astrotels
Global
Aerospace Corporation SUMMARY OF
CONCEPT OBJECTIVES
• Enable Low-cost, Frequent Access to Mars for Scientists
and Explorers
• Develop System Concepts That Could Be Utilized in
Expedition Phases of Mars Exploration
• Develop a Framework and Context for Future Technology
Advance and Robotic Exploration
Global Aerospace Corporation 15 KTN - June 7, 2000
