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Innovative Component Technologies

John C Stennis Space Center (SSC) is a large rocket propulsion test facility located in southern Mississippi close to the Louisiana state line. Energy consumption is very large to sustain the static engine testing and supporting facilities. In an effort to conserve on energy and enhance the sustainability of these and other SSC facilities, interest exists in pursing innovative approaches to energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emission reductions, improved environmental quality. This includes the use of green technologies that support LEED certification.

The purpose of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is to harness and utilize resources at the site of exploration to create products and services which can enable and significantly reduce the mass, cost, and risk of near-term and long-term space exploration. The ability to make propellants, life support consumables, fuel cell reagents, and radiation shielding can significantly reduce the cost, mass, and risk of sustained human activities beyond Earth.

The ability to characterize, collect, transfer, and process resources at the site of exploration on the Moon, Mars, and Near Earth Objects (NEOs)/Phobos can completely change robotic and human mission architectures. The subtopic seeks proposals for the design and subsequent build of hardware and technologies that perform critical functions and operations for characterization, collection, transfer, and processing operations that can be inserted for integration into on-going and future system-level development and demonstration efforts.

Human Exploration requires advances in propulsion for transport to the moon, Mars, and beyond. A major thrust of this research and development activity will be related to space launch and in-space propulsion technologies. These efforts will include earth-to-orbit propulsion, in-space chemical propulsion, in-space nuclear propulsion, and in-space electric propulsion development and demonstrations. NASA is interested in making propulsion systems more capable and less expensive.

Heavy lift launch vehicles envisioned for exploration beyond LEO will require large first stage propulsion systems. Total thrust at lift-off in will probably exceed 6 million pounds. There are available, in-production, practical propulsion options for such a vehicle. However, the cost for outfitting the booster with the required propulsion systems is in the hundreds of millions of dollars (2011 $). This cost severely limits what missions NASA can perform. Low cost design concepts and manufacturing techniques are needed to make future exploration affordable.

This solicitation intends to examine a range of key technology options associated with cryogenic, non-toxic storable, and solid core nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) systems for use in future exploration missions. Non-toxic engine technology, including new mono and bi-propellants, is desired for use in lieu of the currently operational NTO/MMH engine technology. Handling and safety concerns with toxic chemical propellants can lead to more costly propulsion systems.

The goal of this subtopic is to develop innovative technologies for high-power (100 kW to MW-class) electric propulsion systems. High-power (high-thrust) electric propulsion may enable dramatic mass and cost savings for lunar and Mars cargo missions, including Earth escape and near-Earth space maneuvers. At very high power levels, electric propulsion may enable piloted exploration missions as well.

Life support and habitation encompasses the process technologies and equipment necessary to provide and maintain a livable environment within the pressurized cabin of crewed spacecraft. Functional areas of interest to this solicitation include thermal control and ventilation, atmosphere resource management and particulate control, water recovery systems, solid waste management, habitation systems, food production, environmental monitoring and fire protection systems. Technologies must be directed at long duration missions in microgravity, including earth orbit and planetary transit.

Biochemical Systems for CO2 Removal and Processing to Useful Products