PROJECT LEGACY - Purdue University

AAE 450/EAPS 391 Lecture #1 and Syllabus

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AAE 450 Spacecraft Design/EAPS 391

Lecture #1

PROJECT LEGACY

Astronautics Instructor: Prof. James Longuski (long – gŭs´ - skē)

Pronounced: “Long” as in long, “gus” as in Gus Grissom, “ski” as in ski.

ARMS 3220, (765) 494-5139, [email protected]

Required Text: Advice to Rocket Scientists by Jim Longuski.

Today's reading assignment: Read pp. 1-9.

About the Author: After receiving his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Michigan, Jim Longuski (long-gŭs´-skē) worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a maneuver analyst and as a mission designer. In 1988 he joined the faculty of the School of Aeronautics & Astronautics at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, where he teaches courses in dynamics, aerospace optimization, and spacecraft design. He is co-inventor of a “Method for Velocity Precision Pointing in Spin-Stabilized Spacecraft or Rockets” and is an Associate Fellow of AIAA. Professor Longuski has published over 250

mailto:[email protected]


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conference and journal papers in the general area of astrodynamics including such topics as spacecraft dynamics and control, reentry theory, mission design, space trajectory optimization, and a new test of General Relativity. Planetary Science Instructor: Prof. David Minton

HAMP 3231, (765) 494-3292, [email protected]

Professor Minton joined Purdue in the Fall of 2011 and has helped establish the Planetary Sciences program within the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. Before becoming a planetary scientist, Dr. Minton studied aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University and the University of Maryland. His current research interests include orbital dynamics, planet formation, planet migration, the Late Heavy Bombardment, and dynamics and structure of small bodies. He has also done extensive research on the cratering history of the Moon and other satellites.



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Important Notes

1. This course will be run by the students. Very few lectures will

be given by the instructors, who will act more as “guides on the

side” rather than “sages on the stage.”

You have had either the aeronautics and astronautics or planetary

science curriculum. Using your course background you can now

pursue design. You will also have to learn new things. You will

find the answers to your design problem–they are not in the back

of any book.

You will be given a problem and you are going to have to solve it

yourself. The instructors and TA do not know the answer to it –

they can only guide you.

2. Nearly 5 hours of class meetings are scheduled per week.

Students are expected to attend every class and to be available for

group meetings outside of class.


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3. Each student will present a stand-up presentation at least every

other week. You will use slides (Power Point) and make handouts

for the instructors and the TA.

Please make 5 copies: 2 copies for the instructors, 2 copies for the

TA, and 1 copy for the PM. Make all copies three-holed punched

and double sided. Staple each copy. Do not reduce – use full sized

copies (1 page per slide). Only 3 slides will be allowed to be

shown during the presentation (including the cover slide).

However additional material can be attached if it is the original

(handwritten or typed) work of the student. Do not attach the work

of another author. Points will be deducted for not following these

instructions.

4. Each student will receive a grade for every presentation based

on quality and depth of analysis, relevance and value to the project,

ability to answer questions, clarity in communication (written and

oral), professional attitude, and above all – not exceeding the time

limit! (The time limit is 6 minutes: talk for 3 minutes plus answer

questions for 3 minutes.)

5. Each student will be given advice and guidelines for future


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presentations. The class, TA, and instructors will participate in the

process.

6. Design is an interactive process in which one part of the design

can influence all the other parts. Your design effort must reflect

this interaction. To be successful you must be able to collaborate

with each other.

7. Grading will be weighted as follows.

40%: Regular stand-up presentations (plus open book

quiz on Advice to Rocket Scientists)

20%: Peer Review (taken several times)

20%: Final Report

10% Final Presentation

10% Attendance/ Timeliness

100% Total

Letter grades will not include plus or minus with the possible

exception that some A grades may be raised to an A+ at the

discretion of the instructors.


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8. The Final Report should be divided into sections which will

have the authors' names listed in the header. Most sections should

be single-authored.

9. All numerical results should be supported by analysis. At

midterm the TA may examine your software for credibility.

10. Some analyses will be highly detailed, particularly if it directly

relates to the astronautics or planetary curricula. Other analyses

will, of necessity, be intentionally superficial, but must be based on

some reference or model. Topics which should be covered in some

detail include: trajectory design, attitude determination and control,

telecommunications, structures and materials, thermal control,

human factors, science instruments, power, and propulsion.

11. Some issues will be raised which are beyond the scope of the

present project. These issues will be identified, briefly described,

and then set aside for some future design study.

12. A Project Manager will be elected by the class. He or she will

be an individual who has the time, energy, and ability to lead the

class and make a substantial contribution to enabling a successful


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project. This is an unforgiving task. The PM will be blamed for

any failures and his or her team will be credited for any successes.

13. Assistant Project Manager will also be elected by the class.

The APM will support the PM. In addition to management duties,

the PM and APM will assess cost, scheduling (e.g. storyboard),

and risk. Each will report on these topics every two weeks.

14. Every student will be assigned to a group focused on a specific

discipline. The eight disciplines are as follows:

Control – Define and size guidance and control systems which

include sensors such as gyros, accelerometers, reaction control

systems etc.

Human Factors – Develop ways to preserve crew physical and

mental health. Define food, water, and resupply needs.

Mission Design – Design interplanetary trajectories, determine

maneuvers, and find overall ΔV requirements. Evaluate alternate

mission architectures to minimize overall mass. Note: Prior

completion of AAE 532 Orbit Mechanics with a grade of B or


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better is required.

Power and Thermal – Design power and thermal control systems

to survive the space environment and support the mission.

Propulsion – Design propulsion systems for all vehicles. Select

propellants, engines, and attitude control thrusters.

Science – Define scientific objectives and experiments desired.

Select landing site(s) to meet mission and science requirements.

Note: this team consists of Professor Minton’s Planetary Science

students.

Structures – Design and evaluate vehicle structures with a goal to

minimize mass.

Systems – Track and minimize system mass, power, and volume.

Design communication system. Perform detailed cost and risk

assessments. Perform system-level and architecture-level trade

studies among mass, cost, risk, and scientific value. Responsible

for answering action items from the PM or APM. Note: This will

not be an easy job!


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15. Attendance is required at every class and meeting.

The grade is computed as follows:

g = 10 – 2.5 X (n-1)

where n = 1, 2, 3, ... and note that if n > 5 the grade becomes a

negative number.

A late arrival counts as half an absence. See the instructors in

advance if you need to be excused from class. If you are ill the

day of class you must call Professor Longuski or Professor Minton

before class to be excused. You may leave a voice mail message.

Do not send an email. Timeliness means turning in reports to the

PM on time. Penalties will be given for late reports.

16. Mechanism for Reassigning a Student.

A student may be removed from the design team and reassigned

another task. If necessary, this will be done in the following steps:

A. Discussion with the instructors.

B. Letter from the instructors.

C. Reassignment.

The student's grade will be D or F.

17. Please direct all email questions to the TA. The instructors


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will not respond to email and will not return phone calls.

However, ample office hours will be set aside for personal contact

with the instructors. Also, the instructors will attend all LAB

meetings and all LECTURES.

18. All email communications should be copied to both:

[email protected]

[email protected]

That is, if you are communicating with a team member, the TA,

another professor, or an outside source (e.g., a NASA engineer or

scientist), you should copy your message to both Professor

Longuski and Professor Minton. This allows the instructors to be

aware of the progress of the project and to step in and comment on

the communications. All communications must, of course, be

professional. Note for international students: When contacting

outside advisors (from NASA, government labs, or aerospace

industry), let your contact know from the beginning that you are an

international student to avoid any misunderstandings.



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19. Since each of you will be asked for a peer evaluation of every

member of this class, you will be expected to take note of each

student's presentation (e.g. assign a grade of 0 to 10) and of each

student's contributions. Your PM will provide you with a class

roster for this purpose.

20. This course will provide you with an opportunity to develop

professionalism – i.e. your professional character. Now is the time

to think about how you will act as a practicing engineer or

scientist. What work habits, communication skills, attitudes, and

expectations do you need or want to develop?

21. By midterm you must be able to demonstrate how you

obtained your results and to explain why they make sense.

22. Integrity in engineering is crucial. Academic dishonesty will

be reported to the Dean of Students.


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Paving the Way

President Obama’s Speech

On April 15, 2010 at the Kennedy Space Center, President Obama

announced his new goals for NASA’s human spaceflight activities:

“Early in the next decade, a set of crewed flights will test and

prove systems required for exploration beyond low Earth orbit.

And by 2025, we expect new spacecraft designed for long journeys

to allow us to begin the first-ever crewed missions beyond the

Moon into deep space. So we’ll start – we’ll start by sending

astronauts to an asteroid for the first time in history. By the mid-

2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them

safely to Earth. And a landing on Mars will follow. And I expect to

be around to see it.”

“But I want to repeat – I want to repeat this: Critical to deep space

exploration will be the development of breakthrough propulsion

systems and other advanced technologies. So I’m challenging

NASA to break through these barriers. And I know you will, with

ingenuity and intensity, because that’s what you’ve always done.”


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NASA’s Journey to Mars

In response to President Obama’s space exploration vision, NASA

developed the conceptual roadmap known as the Journey to Mars.

This roadmap is broken into three steps: Earth Reliant, Proving

Ground, and Earth Independent.

Earth Reliant missions are focused on low-Earth orbit (LEO).

Since the end of the Apollo program, this has been NASA’s

primary focus with the Space Shuttle and International Space

Station (ISS). In recent years NASA has begun to shift away from

LEO, though the ISS still remains a critical asset. The ISS is

currently funded through 2024, with potential for further extension

as the original design life ends in 2028.

Proving ground missions in cislunar space are intended to develop

the critical technologies needed for the Journey to Mars. Initial

missions such as Exploration Missions 1 and 2 (EM-1 & EM-2)

have already been planned to test deep space transportation

capabilities. EM-1, an uncrewed mission scheduled for 2018, will

be the first integrated test of Orion and the Space Launch System


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(SLS). In 2021 EM-2 will take humans to lunar orbit, the first time

humans have left LEO since 1972. Beyond EM-1 and EM-2,

NASA has not committed to specific architectures that would build

into the Earth Independent phase as humans travel to Mars.

In October 2015, NASA released a report titled Journey to Mars:

Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration which provides more

details on the Journey to Mars concept. This report mentions one

mission concept beyond EM-2 that has been selected: a staging

point in lunar orbit consisting of at least one habitation module.

This staging point will initially be used to test deep space habitats

needed for the transit to Mars and could expand capabilities over

time by adding more modules.

We note that NASA's Journey to Mars and Dr. Buzz Aldrin's

Mission to Mars have differences.

Dr. Buzz Aldrin’s Mission to Mars

(a.k.a. Dr. Buzz Aldrin’s Cycling Pathway to Occupy Mars)

In his book Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration, Dr.

Buzz Aldrin lays out a Mars colonization architecture that includes


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an incremental development approach similar to NASA’s Journey

to Mars. Dr. Aldrin’s plan begins with Bigelow inflatable habitat

and deep space habitat tests in LEO and lunar orbits, followed by

the development of a lunar base. This lunar base would be used to

test surface habitats, develop in-situ resource utilization (ISRU)

technologies, and study the human factors concerns with long-

duration living on another planet. These human factors concerns

include radiation protection, crew health, and psychological

impacts.

Moon base concepts have recently made headlines, particularly the

ESA director-general Johann-Dietrich Warner’s “Moon Village.”

One of his primary rationales is that “before going to Mars, we

should test what we could do on Mars on the Moon.” (See

http://spacenews.com/op-ed-getting-serious-about-the-moon-village/)

Many other space agencies have expressed interest in travelling to

and living on the Moon. Dr. Aldrin’s plan calls for international,

and possibly commercial, partners to join the Moon base.

Following the Moon bases, Dr. Aldrin’s plan establishes cycler

vehicles that travel between Earth and Mars on a repeating orbit.

Using a pair of two-synodic period cyclers, crew can be sent to

http://spacenews.com/op-ed-getting-serious-about-the-moon-village/


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Mars approximately every 26 months (2 1/7 years). These vehicles

would support the crew during the 5-6 month travel time, after

which the crew would land on the surface of Phobos or Mars.

The Earth-Independent segment of Dr. Aldrin's concept was

studied in Project Aldrin-Purdue (during the Spring 2015 AAE 450

course). The report and other materials from this project can be

found at:

https://engineering.purdue.edu/AAE/Academics/Courses/aae450/2015/spring



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Project Specifications for AAE 450 Spring 2016

The objective is to minimize the IMLEO (initial mass in low Earth

orbit) of cislunar “plus” proving ground missions at the Moon that

prepare for international colonization of Mars. The goal is to

establish an international lunar base capable of sending a crew of

four to eight people (two landers with up to four crew members per

lander) to Mars every synodic period, with the first crew reaching

Mars in 2037. All systems (including the cycler vehicle) designed

for Project Aldrin-Purdue should be used but scaled back

proportionally to reflect a crew of up to eight instead of eighteen

per synodic period. The scope of this project does not extend

beyond hyperbolic rendezvous of the crew with the cycler vehicle.

The project begins in 2018 when prototype habitation modules

(referred to as exploration modules or simply XMs) should be

ready for initial LEO tests. Deep space XMs must be developed

for long-term use and ability to remain dormant until needed. Both

of these capabilities are critical to cycler vehicles which need to

last for 20-30 years with minimal maintenance, while only being

crewed for six months every 4 2/7 years.


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A lunar or cislunar orbit should be selected for further tests of the

exploration modules. Some options for the lunar orbit include a

Lunar Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO), Lunar Halo Orbit, a

Lagrange point, or a seven-hour polar orbit. Over time, additional

deep space XMs could be added to create staging points for future

missions.

Following the initial deep space XM tests, surface habitation (or

hab) modules will be placed on the Moon. This lunar base will

answer questions critical to colonizing Mars including in-situ

resource utilization (ISRU), human factors, and surface operations.

The base must initially support a crew of four, later expanding to at

least a crew of eight. The base site should be selected primarily

based on availability of resources for ISRU with science objectives

a secondary concern.

Some crews will stay on the Moon for extended durations so

designs should consider the crews' physical and mental health.

Radiation shielding must be provided for the habitats. The crew

selected for the first Mars colony will have demonstrated the

ability to harmoniously live and work together over a two-year


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shakedown at the Moon. This two-year isolation period

corresponds to the one Earth-Mars synodic period stay on Phobos

that crews of four will have to endure.

Recreational facilities more extensive than just exercise equipment

(such as stationary bicycles) should be provided. For example a

wallyball court could provide the crew with the opportunity to

have regular exercise that is fun to do while protecting against the

low-G environment. If wallyball protects the crew on the Moon (at

1/6 G) it should suffice to protect the colony on Mars (at 1/3 G).

Rovers, excavation equipment, or any other needed surface

vehicles should be designed. Each rover must carry a maximum of

four crew members and be capable of traveling at least 20 km/hour

up an incline of 30 deg. Rover maximum range, scientific

equipment, and surface operations must be determined from

science objectives. However, even if there were no science

requirements, pressurized rovers should be provided for

recreational activities that contribute to the mental health of the

crew. Each crew member should have the opportunity to get out of

the hab at least three times a week. In the rovers, crew members

should be operating in a “shirt sleeve” environment, meaning that

spacesuits are not needed.


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Ferrying vehicles will be required to transport astronauts and

supplies from orbit to the lunar surface; and potentially extract

lunar resources (e.g. water, propellant etc.) from the lunar surface

to orbit. In the event of a catastrophic failure of the surface habs,

the landers must be able to take the crew to a safe haven in lunar

orbit.

A transfer propulsion stage is required to take the crew to the

cycler vehicles which have been pre-positioned in the S1L1 orbit.

(See McConaghy, T. T., Longuski, J. M., and Byrnes, D. V.,

“Analysis of a Class of Earth-Mars Cycler Trajectories,” Journal

of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 41, No. 4, July-August 2004, pp.

622—628.)

The Mars lander and life support systems are already included in

the assumed design from Project Aldrin-Purdue, though orbital

transfers and the propulsion system must be designed to take the

crewed lander to the cycler. It is assumed that the Mars landers

(including consumables used on the cycler trip) needed for a crew

of four to land on Mars or Phobos have a mass of 20 Mg. (Note: 1


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Mg = 1000 kg = 1 metric ton. Mg will be used as the standard unit

of mass for this project.)

At all stages of the mission (cislunar space and lunar surface), a

continuous 2-way HD video link should exist between the crew

and Earth.

Systems should be designed for commonality, reconfigurability,

reusability, and redundancy– all of which must be justified.

Current NASA developments, particularly Orion and SLS, must be

used in some capacity, though not exclusively if other systems

(such as a Falcon Heavy launch vehicle) better meet the

requirements. Minor design changes may be assumed. It is also

assumed that the SLS Block 1A (which delivers 70 Mg to LEO)

will be available by 2021, the Block 1B (105 Mg to LEO) in 2023,

and the Block 2 (130 Mg to LEO) in 2030.

In all critical design decisions, the probability of failure (i.e risks)

must be quantified and evaluated for different alternatives. The

consequences of the risks can include project delays, mission

failure, and loss of crew. Risk assessment techniques such as


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NASA's Project Risk Management Matrix should be used. Every

mission, such as sending humans to the lunar surface or reaching

the cycler vehicle, must have at least an 80% chance of success. In

addition there must be a 95% chance that the crew can reach a safe

destination.

A launch and development schedule should be created along with

cost estimations. Typically, program budgets remain relatively

constant from year to year, so mission costs should be spread out

accordingly. Based on the recommendations of the National

Research Council’s 2014 Pathways to Exploration Report (co-

chaired by Purdue President Mitch Daniels) it is assumed for this

study that budgets grow at 5% per year, accounting for inflation

plus minor growth.

—End of Project Specifications for Spring 2016—

These specifications are subject to change at the discretion of the

customer (Dr. Buzz Aldrin).


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Some questions to be considered during this study include:

How can surface habitats be designed to support long term crew

physical and mental health?

What radiation levels are acceptable and what shielding

requirements or operations limitations do these levels impose?

What are the costs and benefits of ISRU? How much water (i.e.

propellant) must be produced to break even? What production

rate is required over time to support the Mars colonies?

How can hyperbolic rendezvous be made as safe as possible?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using NTRs

(nuclear thermal rockets)?


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Science team: What does the 2013-2022 Planetary Science

Decadal Survey (Vision and Voyages) list as the primary science

objectives for the exploration of Mars and the Moon and how

are those objectives obtained with crewed exploration?

Science team: What is the most effective way to use the Moon

as a Mars analog site and what scientific or technological

research is needed to enable future Mars colonization missions?

What experiments or robotic precursor missions provide this

information?

Science team: What landing site best satisfies the following

mission objectives, from highest to lowest priority: 1) Obtain

resources for ISRU, 2) Develop and test technology and science

exploration strategies for Mars colonization, 3) Address the

primary lunar science objectives from the Decadal Survey?

Science team: What are the tradeoffs

between in-situ study and sample return? What is the suite of

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/2013decadal/


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instrumentation that should be brought to the landing site, and

what is the overall exploration strategy for the crew while on the

surface?


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Advisors

Program Advisor

Dr. Andrew Aldrin Director, Buzz Aldrin Space Institute,

Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida Email: [email protected]

Dr. Andrew Aldrin is currently the Director of the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute and an

Associate Professor at the Florida Institute of Technology. He recently served as the

President of Moon Express. Prior to coming to Moon Express, Dr. Aldrin was

Director of Business Development and Advanced Programs at United Launch Alliance

(ULA) where he oversaw development of corporate strategies, business capture, senior

customer relations and advanced program development for civil space markets. Before

ULA, Dr. Aldrin headed Business Development and Advanced Programs for Boeing’s

NASA Systems, and Launch Services business units. He has also served as a Resident

Consultant at the RAND Corporation and Professional Research Staff Member at the

Institute for Defense Analyses. Dr. Aldrin holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from

UCLA, an MBA from TRIUM, a MA in Science Technology and Public Policy from The

George Washington University, and a MA in International Relations from the

University of California at Santa Barbara. He is an Adjunct Faculty member at

International Space University and has been Adjunct Faculty at the University of

Houston and California State University at Long Beach.

Launch and Exploration Systems Advisor

Prof. Daniel (Dan) L. Dumbacher Professor of Practice, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Purdue University Office: GRIS 372, (765) 496-0135, [email protected]

Professor Dumbacher was named Professor of Practice in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics effective August 1, 2014.

Before joining Purdue, Mr. Dumbacher served as Deputy Associate Administrator in Exploration Systems Development Division, for the Human Exploration and Operations




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Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. In that capacity, he provided leadership and management for the directorate with a special focus as the Program Director for Exploration Systems Development encompassing Space Launch System, Orion, and Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) development and integration efforts.

Mr. Dumbacher earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in 1981 and a master’s in business administration from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 1984. He has completed the Senior Managers in Government study program at Harvard University. Mr. Dumbacher has authored several papers on liquid propulsion technologies, space transportation systems development, and systems engineering.

Telecommunications Advisor

Dr. David L. Filmer Adjunct Professor, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Purdue University Office: ARMS 3223, Phone: (765) 496-6936, [email protected]

Professor Filmer joined the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics as an adjunct professor in 2002. He received his Ph.D. in biochemistry and biophysics from the University of Wisconsin in 1961, and served on the faculty of the Purdue University's Department of Biological Sciences from 1964-2004. His technical interests include satellite design and ground station design for the acquisition of satellite data.

Science Advisor

Dr. Briony Horgan Assistant Professor, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences

Purdue University Office: HAMP 3233 (765) 496-2290 [email protected]

Dr. Briony Horgan is an Assistant Professor of planetary science. She uses data from NASA’s satellites and rovers to understand the geologic history of the Moon and Mars, supported by lab and field work at analog sites back on Earth. Her expertise is identifying minerals using visible and infrared spectroscopy, and using those minerals to investigate planetary surface processes, and to identify habitable ancient environments on Mars. Prof. Horgan is a Co-I on the Mastcam-Z camera system for NASA’s Mars2020 rover mission.




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Mission Design Advisor

Mr. Kyle Hughes Ph.D. Candidate, Advanced Astrodynamics Concepts

School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University West Lafayette, IN 47907-2045, [email protected]

Kyle received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Washington (in 2008 and 2010) in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in astrodynamics and space applications at Purdue University under the direction of Professor Jim Longuski in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Kyle's research focus at Purdue is in the design of interplanetary trajectories with multiple gravity assists. His work has contributed to such missions as Inspiration Mars, OSIRIS-REx, and Buzz Aldrin's Unified Space Vision for establishing a permanent human presence on Mars.


Mr. Alec Mudek Master’s Student, Advanced Astrodynamics Concepts Group School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN 47907-2045 (262)957-7601, [email protected]

Alec received his Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University in 2015 with a focus on Dynamics and Control. Currently, he is pursuing a Master’s degree at Purdue in Astrodynamics and Space Applications with the final goal of pursuing a Ph.D. Alec is a member of Professor Jim Longuski’s Advanced Astrodynamics Concepts group. His current research includes identifying interplanetary trajectories to Uranus and Saturn; research which is being conducted in conjunction with Ames Research Center. He is also



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investigating tours of the Galilean moons in the interest of investigating the icy moons of Jupiter. Alec was also a member of the 2015 AAE450 Controls Team for Project Aldrin-Purdue.


Mr. Rob Potter Master’s Student, Advanced Astrodynamics Concepts

School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University West Lafayette, IN 47907-2045, [email protected]

Rob received his Bachelor’s degree from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California in 2015 in Aerospace Engineering. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree with intent to pursue his doctorate in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at Purdue under the direction of Professor Jim Longuski in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Rob’s current research focus is the design of interplanetary trajectories and cyclers between Earth and Mars. His work will contribute to Buzz Aldrin’s Cycler Pathway to Mars vision. Previous work at Cal Poly included mission design, orbital constellation design, and space environment analysis in Cal Poly’s senior design project and Project Manager of ExoCube, a PolySat CubeSat.


Dr. Blake A. Rogers Advanced Astrodynamics Concepts

School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University West Lafayette, IN 47907-2045

(865) 660-0507, [email protected]

Blake graduated with his doctoral degree in May 2014 from the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics under the direction of Professor Longuski. His research interests include trajectory design and optimization for cycling spacecraft. Cycling spacecraft trajectories use gravitational assists to perpetually encounter two or more bodies using relatively small amounts of propellant. These types of trajectories are useful when large masses need to be transported between the bodies, such as, for example, multiple human Mars missions.



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Dr. Sarag J. Saikia Visiting Assistant Professor

School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University Office: WANG 4052, (765) 337-8712, [email protected]

Prof. Saikia earned his doctorate from Purdue University (under the direction of Prof. Longuski). As a graduate student, he served as the mission design advisor for the Spring 2015 AAE 450 Project Aldrin-Purdue, “Cycling pathway to establish a permanent human presence on Mars.”

Prof. Saikia’s research interests lie in spacecraft aerocapture, entry, descent, and landing; design of planetary probes and instrument concepts; advanced spacecraft concepts (e.g. mobility technologies); early mission concept formulation; and human exploration missions leading to the colonization of Mars.

Dr. Saikia continues to work very closely with Dr. Buzz Aldrin.


Mr. Nathan Strange Ph.D. Candidate, Advanced Astrodynamics Concepts, Purdue University

Principal Engineer, Mission Concepts Section Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena CA

[email protected]

Nathan Strange has worked at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) since 2000, where he is a Principal Engineer in the Mission Concepts Section. He holds an M.S. in Aeronautics & Astronautics from Purdue University and is pursuing a Ph.D. degree with Professor Jim Longuski in Astrodynamics and Space Applications. Nathan is the Mission Design lead for the Asteroid Redirection Robotic Mission concept which aims to retrieve a large boulder from an asteroid and place it in orbit of the Moon where it would



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be visited by astronauts as a precursor to human interplanetary missions. He has also participated in several NASA teams developing mission concepts for human missions to Mars, asteroids, and cislunar space.

Systems Engineering and Surface Operations Advisor

Dr. Olivier de Weck Professor, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 33-410, MIT, 77 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, U.S.A.

(617) 253-0255 [email protected]

Professor de Weck was born in Switzerland and holds degrees in industrial engineering from ETH Zurich (1993) and aerospace systems engineering from MIT (2001). Before joining MIT he was a liaison engineer and later engineering program manager on the F/A-18 aircraft program at McDonnell Douglas (1993-1997).

Prof. de Weck is a leader in systems engineering research. He focuses on how complex man-made systems such as aircraft, spacecraft, automobiles, printers and critical infrastructures are designed and how they evolve over time. Prof. de Weck chaired the AIAA Space Logistics Technical Committee between 2007 and 2010 and his group developed SpaceNet and HabNet, two software packages that support development and analysis of Space Exploration Campaigns.

Systems Engineering Advisor

Mr. Stephen Whitnah Graduate Student, Engineering Management

Purdue University (303) 918-4658, [email protected]

Stephen Whitnah was the Project Manager of the spring 2015 AAE 450 Project Aldrin-Purdue and assisted Professor Longuski in writing the spring 2016 AAE 450 mission




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specifications. He has worked for Lockheed Martin Space Systems in spacecraft propulsion and systems engineering roles on a variety of spacecraft including Orion, MAVEN, GOES-R, SBIRS, and GPS III. In May 2016, he will graduate with his master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics with management and return to Lockheed Martin to design propulsion systems for Orion and robotic exploration missions.

Thermal Control Advisor

Dr. Boris Yendler Adjunct Associate Professor

School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University CEO and Principal Consultant, YSPM, LLC

(408) 666-3141, [email protected], www.yspm.net Dr. Boris Yendler was named Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics effective January 1, 2015.

He formed YSPM, LLC in the summer of 2011 after working at Lockheed Martin Corp. (LM) for 15 years. While at LM, Boris was involved in development and refinement of a thermal method for propellant estimation.

Dr. Yendler worked successfully in different areas of thermal subsystems. He has initiated development of advanced heat pipes, Capillary Pump Loops (CPL) and Loop Heat Pipes (LHP) for deployable radiator; optimized, improved reliability and cost-efficiency of the inertial welding; solved thermal problems, like, overheating of Earth sensor, thermal effect of antenna on transponder panel, etc. He developed an innovative approach for a heat shield of a reentry vehicle which replaces disposable tiles with a re-generated heat shield. The approach was presented at several international forums.

Dr. Yendler holds an M.S. in Thermo and Fluid Dynamics from St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute, Russia; and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering/Mathematics from St. Petersburg University, Russia. He held two post-doctoral positions, Chemical Engineering Department of Stanford University and NASA Ames Research Center..



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Important Project Deadlines

Final Report Due:

Thursday, April 7, 2016 8:30 AM

Dry Run Presentation:

Thursday, April 14, 2016 8:30 AM – 11:20 AM

Website Completion:

Tuesday, April 19, 2016 12:30 PM

Includes Final Report, Appendix, All Individual Presentations,

Final Presentation Slides (with Robot Voice Over), Code, Team

Photo, Short (5-10 minute) Animated Video with Voice Over and

Music.

Formal Presentation:

Thursday, April 21, 2016 8:30 – 11:20 AM STEW 204

Refreshments served to draw a crowd starting at 9:30 AM. Lecture

(by PM) begins at 10:00 AM and ends at 10:30 AM. Q&A (with

entire team) starts at 10:30 AM and continues until 11:00 AM.

Meeting ends at 11:20 AM.

Note: Dead week starts Monday, April 25, 2016. Classes end

Saturday, April 30, 2016.


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Other Possible Milestones:

In previous classes the team was divided into Sections I and II

which gave presentations on alternate weeks. Some important

scheduled phases included:

1. Finalized design requirements and objectives leading to a

detailed interpretation of the original Project Specifications.

2. Preliminary Design Review

3. Critical Design Review

4. Action Item Assignments

SPRING BREAK

5. Action Item Close-Out

6. Written Report Outline

7. Configuration Freeze

8. Writing Workshop #1

9. Writing Workshop #2

10. Final Draft Due to PM

11. All Slides Due to PM


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Suggestions

1. Besides Area Groups (assigned to technical disciplines) create

Vehicle Groups (responsible for specific vehicles or hardware).

2. Do not take your “job description” to be a limit of what you can

do to support the project. Look for ways to contribute to the

design that go beyond your job description. (You can add your list

of tasks to the first slide of your presentations to let the team know

all the ways you are helping out.)

3. Establish a master data base for the current design.

4. Write fairly general software to solve your individual design

problem. Standardize input and output files so you can easily

respond to changes in the design (and so other team members can

run your code if needed). Expect many changes. Your code will be

placed on the website and will be added to your “page count” as

credit in your Final Report grade.

5. Type detailed findings for each of your presentations and attach


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(but do not present). Saves time when you write your report!

6. Check out the previous AAE 450 Websites.

AAE 450 Spring 2001 Project PERFORM

Incorporated Zubrin's in-situ propellant production concept along with free return using

Venus, aerobraking and aerocapture, nuclear thermal rockets, artificial gravity, and zero-

altitude abort for a low-cost, low-risk human mission to Mars.

https://engineering.purdue.edu/AAE/Academics/Courses/aae450/2001spring

AAE 450 Spring 2002 Project SEABASS

Considered placing a submarine in the subsurface ocean of Europa to search for signs of

extraterrestrial life.


AAE 450 Spring 2003 Project MERIT

Examined the feasibility of the Mars Cycler concept (originated by Dr. Buzz Aldrin) to

construct a human transportation system between Earth and Mars.


AAE 450 Spring 2004 Project HOMER

Considered an “ice-breaker” mission performed prior to a human landing on Mars.


AAE 450 Spring 2005 Project Legend

Presented a detailed architecture for sending Humans to Mars.


AAE 450 Spring 2006 Project Infinity




https://engineering.purdue.edu/AAE/Academics/Courses/aae450/2004



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Addressed the problem of sending humans Back to the Moon.


AAE 450 Spring 2007 Project Aquarius

Used Dr. Damon Landau's thesis concept to use Martian water for rocket propellant.


AAE 450 Spring 2008 Project Bellerophon

Sought the most economical method to launch very small payloads (200 grams to 5

kilograms) into low-Earth orbit.


AAE 450 Spring 2009 Project Xpedition

Used the Google X PRIZE specifications to consider not only the absolute minimum cost

(in dollars) for landing a very small rover on the Moon, but also the relative minimum

cost (in dollars per kilogram) to determine the best “bang for the buck” of a moderate

sized lunar rover.


AAE 450 Spring 2010 Project Kronos

Considered delivering an airship, a lake lander, and an orbiter to Saturn's largest moon,

Titan. Website includes a 6-minute movie: click on “Project Kronos Movie.”


AAE 450 Spring 2011 Project Vision

A feasibility study of a human mission to the largest asteroid, the dwarf planet Ceres. To

see the 5-minute move: visit the website, go to “Home,” then click on “Movies.”









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AAE 450 Spring 2012 Project Olympus.

Considered the possibility of colonizing Mars in which humans are sent to live out their

lives in the Martian caves. The one-way-to-Mars plan may be cheaper, safer, and more

politically sustainable than any other concept.


AAE 450 Spring 2013 Project Prometheus.

Studied methods for developing infrastructure that enables human colonization of Mars

and Phobos. Heavy radiation shielding was emphasized in this mission, particularly for

the cycler vehicle and surface habitats.


AAE 450 Spring 2014 Project Artemis.

Studied the costs of developing three human colonies on the Moon to pursue scientific

objectives while researching crew health to prepare for Mars colonization.


AAE 450 Spring 2015 Project Aldrin-Purdue.

Designed vehicles and missions to support Dr. Buzz Aldrin’s Mars colonization concept,

as laid out in his book Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration. This team

primarily focused on the Phobos and Mars components of the architecture.


Each report is about 1000 pages including the appendices.






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Class Schedule – The Next Few Days

Class meetings are as follows:

Lec: Tues. and Thurs. 12:30 – 1:20 PM ARMS B071

Lab: Thurs. 8:30 – 11:20 AM FRNY G124

1. Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 12:30 – 1:20 PM

Class fills in Survey Form. Candidates for Project Manager and

Assistant Project Manager are announced and elected. PM and

APM assign team members to Technical Groups. PM contacts

Anna Bowers to reserve room and audio-visual equipment for

Final Presentation (e. g. in Stewart Center).

2. Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016 8:30 – 11:20 AM

PM announces Technical Group assignments. Technical Groups

elect Group Leaders (who will act as liaisons between the group

and the managers). The Group Leaders are not bosses – they are

merely messengers. Group Leaders (GL) must present their own

technical reports just as any other member of the group.

Instructors present Project Specifications, Course

Schedule, and Course Requirements.


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Dr. Buzz Aldrin will be present to discuss his Mars colonization

plan with the students in the course. This discussion is not open to

the public.

3. Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016 12:30 – 1:20 PM

PM presents schedule and specifies details of each Technical

Group's responsibilities. Photo opportunity of Team with Dr.

Buzz Aldrin.

4. Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016 12:30—1:20 PM

PM begins leading every class with a roll call to each GL (“Prop,

Control, Power, ...” and should hear “Go, Go, Go, ...” or, for

example, “Prop waiting on John Doe.”

5. Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016 8:30 – 11:20 AM; 12:30 – 1:20 PM

PM gives roll call. Section I presents analysis of each group in the

section. Each member will be graded by the Instructors and the

TA. PM provides Instructors and TA with hard copies of a

minute-by-minute schedule for each speaker's start time


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(allowing six minutes each with a five-minute break every 36

minutes). The PM also provides each team member with a grade

sheet that lists the team members and has five columns for grades

(on a 0 to 10 scale) so the team can keep track of the quality of all

five presentations over the semester. These sheets will be

confidential and will not be turned in to the instructors. Rather, the

list will serve as a reminder in performing the Peer Evaluation.

Every team member is expected to be aware of the contributions of

every other team member, so they can fairly evaluate their

teammates.

6. Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016 8:30—11:20 AM; 12:30 —1:20 PM

PM gives roll call. Section II presents preliminary analysis.

Presentations will be graded. PM provides Instructors and TA

with hard copies of minute-by-minute schedule.


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Survey Sheet

The purpose of this survey is to determine your areas of interest and how you can

contribute to the design team effort. Please carefully evaluate your own capabilities and

interests before completing this survey form.

Name _________________________________________________________________

Phone _________________________________________________________________

Email _________________________________________________________________

Number of Credit Hours this Semester _______________________________________

Major _______ Astronautical Engineering _______ Planetary Science

Technical interest area. Please rank your interest in each area. Place the numeral 1 in

front of your 1st choice, 2 in front of your 2nd choice, and 3 in front of your 3rd choice.

Please rank all 10 choices. (Note: Science team consists of planetary science students.)

_______Project Manager (cost, and risk assessments, scheduling) _______Assistant Project Manager (cost, and risk assessments, scheduling) _______Control (actuators, sensors, accuracy, propellant budget, etc.) _______Human Factors (consumables, life support, etc.) _______Mission Design (trajectory, launch vehicle, navigation, etc.) _______Power and Thermal (solar, nuclear, batteries, etc.) _______Propulsion (engines, attitude thrusters, propellants, etc.) _______Science (science objectives, experiments, etc.) _______Structures (materials, mass properties, etc.) _______Systems (trade studies, cost, risk, requirements, communications, etc.)

Who would you like to nominate for PM? ______________________________________

List any advanced courses (with grades of A or B) or experience relevant to your choices:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Documents

PROJECT LEGACY - Purdue University