Dec. 13 (UPI) — NASA on Friday issued updates to its “Moon to Mars architecture,” its exploration blueprint that includes Artemis missions to the moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.
Among the updates is a decision to use fission power as the primary source of power on the Martian surface to sustain crews, the agency announced as part of its 2024 Moon-to-Mars Architecture Concept Review.
Fission power is a form of nuclear power that would be unaffected by day and night cycles or potential dust storms on Mars.
“NASA’s selection of nuclear power technology over non-nuclear power technology was driven primarily by the need to mitigate the risk of loss of mission,” scientists stated in a white paper issued Friday. “To make the decision, NASA traded numerous power technologies, ultimately down selecting to nuclear fission systems versus photovoltaic arrays with energy storage (i.e., solar panels with batteries).”
Although solar power may have a lower per unit cost, fission power “is more robust and better suited to the Martian environment,” the agency concluded, noting that fission “can provide consistent power generation for a wide range of potential landing sites, around the clock, and during global dust storms.”
NASA also issued 11 other white papers in its Moon-to-Mars architecture review.
“NASA’s Architecture Concept Review process is critical to getting us on a path to mount a human mission to Mars,” NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free said in a statement. “We’re taking a methodical approach to mapping out the decisions we need to make, understanding resource and technological trades, and ensuring we are listening to feedback from stakeholders.”
Among the updates, NASA also revealed it is moving ahead with planning for the development of a lunar surface cargo lander and an initial lunar surface habitat.
The lunar surface cargo lander will deliver logistics items, science and technology payloads, communications systems, and more. In its white paper, experts forecast a cargo demand range of 2,500 to 10,000 kilograms per year for annual recurring logistics during the “foundational exploration” phase of human activity on the Moon.
That estimate includes occasional large cargo deliveries of up to 15,000 kg for elements like rovers or habitation modules.
Planning for an initial surface habitat, which will house astronauts on the lunar surface, was also given new priority in the update.
The initial surface habitat will support crews for 30 days with evolvability to 60 days and must operate during multiple days of lunar darkness throughout the year, when temperatures can plummet to -250 degrees Fahrenheit or lower in some areas of the moon.
Under current assumptions, the surface habitat will provide accommodations for two crew members with a surge capacity of four crew for short durations, such as during crew swap-outs between the habitat and a pressurized surface rover. The habitat would include functional space for medical care, sleeping quarters, a galley and kitchen, science, extravehicular preparation and repair, waste processing, communications, and life support systems.
