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Robinson, Kimberly F.

Publications and source records attributed to Robinson, Kimberly F..

At least 19 records
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NASA NTRS2019

NASA’s Space Launch System Progress Report

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) continues to achieve assembly and testing milestones on its way to the launch of the first human-rated spacecraft to the Moon since the Apollo Program. Major flight hardware for Artemis I (see Fig. 1), formerly known as Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1), is complete, including the liquid and solid main propulsion systems. The Artemis I core stage is fully assembled and engine integration and checkout is underway. Structural testing on the core stage engine and payload sections and intertank are complete. Liquid hydrogen tank structural testing is under way, and liquid oxygen tank structural testing will begin in fall 2019. Major structural components for the second and third flights are also in production; hardware has been fabricated for each element of the Artemis II vehicle. SLS and the Orion crew vehicle along with the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) launch facilities at Kennedy Space Center are critical to the nation’s plans to return to the Moon to stay in a measured, sustainable fashion. Lunar exploration will expand our understanding of Earth’s formation, serve as a proving ground for technologies for pushing deeper into the solar system, and inspire a new generation. This paper will discuss details of 2018-2019 progress and the work ahead to ready SLS for launch.

Honeycutt, John↗
NASA NTRS2019

NASA's Space Launch System: Deep Space Access for CubeSats

NASA is embarking on a new generation of missions to the Moon, known as the Artemis program. The Agency’s new super heavy-lift launch vehicle, the Space Launch System (SLS), is a critical enabling capability for these efforts, which will serve as a proving ground for future crewed expeditions to Mars. SLS is designed to return astronauts to the Moon in the Orion spacecraft and to launch more mass and provide more volume for critical payloads than commercially available vehicles, giving NASA a unique asset for deep space exploration. When performance margin and volume is available, as it is on the first flight, Artemis I (previously Exploration Mission-1), SLS can offer CubeSats access to deep space, beyond Earth’s orbit. The Artemis I flight has 13 6U (14 kg) CubeSats manifested, and the Program is currently accepting proposals for 6U and 12U payloads for the Artemis II flight through the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) program. Proposals from U.S.-based payload developers to fly on Artemis II will be accepted through CSLI until November 4, 2019. When ridesharing on SLS deep space missions, CubeSats must demonstrate they will not interfere with primary mission objectives. The 13 Artemis I CubeSats that hail from industry, academia, NASA and its international partners represent an array of exciting deep space science investigations and technology demonstrations that may help inform future Artemis missions. The initial SLS Block 1 vehicle for the Artemis I flight is fully manufactured; several elements are complete and have been delivered to the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Program at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), which has responsibility for integrating and launching the SLS and Orion stack. Completed elements of the Artemis I vehicle include the Orion Stage Adapter (OSA), which houses the 13 Artemis I CubeSats. With the Artemis I flight hardware and software nearing completion, work is in progress for the second Block 1 launcher, designated for the crewed Artemis II flight. Hardware is being manufactured for every element of the Artemis II vehicle. In this paper, the author will review the status of the Artemis I vehicle and the payloads manifested for the initial flight. Information on the Secondary Payload Deployment System (SPDS) that the SLS Program provides to payload developers will also be included.

Creech, Stephen D.↗
NASA NTRS2019

NASA's Space Launch System: Payload Opportunities for Lunar Exploration, Science Missions

Nearing its first launch, the Space Launch System (SLS), NASA’s new super heavy-lift launch vehicle, offers highly energetic launches that deliver more mass and provide more volume in 8.4 m-diameter and potentially larger fairings to make a new generation of deep space missions possible. An evolvable launcher available in crew, crew with a co-manifested payload (CPL) and cargo-only configurations, SLS is a crucial capability to enable astronauts to return to the Moon, but it also offers key benefits for science missions. NASA’s 21st-century return to the Moon recently received a formal name: the Artemis program. In addition to the core enabling capabilities of SLS and the Orion crew spacecraft, NASA will also enlist international and commercial partnerships for Artemis. The Agency intends to build a scientific outpost in lunar orbit, the Gateway, from which human and robotic missions to and from the surface can rendezvous. SLS will launch Orion on a series of missions leading to landing the first woman and the next man on the Moon as part of Artemis. SLS uses proven propulsion systems: two solid rocket boosters and four RS-25s engines that have been upgraded to provide more thrust and operate in the SLS environment. SLS Block 1 uses a modified Delta IV Heavy upper stage, called the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) and lifts at least 26 metric tons (t) to trans-lunar injection (TLI). The Block 1 vehicle can also be outfitted with a 5 m-diameter fairing. Block 1B, the next major variant, also uses solid rocket boosters and RS-25 engines to achieve Earth escape velocity, but replaces the single-engine liquid hydrogen (LH2)/liquid oxygen (LOX) ICPS with a four-engine LH2/LOX Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) to increase mass to TLI to 34-37 t, depending on crew or cargo configuration. In the Block 1B crew configuration, a 10 m-tall Universal Stage Adapter (USA) connects the vehicle to Orion and can carry a CPL up to 10 t. The USA provides 286 m3 of unpressurized volume for payloads. For large payloads, 8.4 m- and 10 m-diameter cargo fairings in 19.1 m and 27.4 m lengths are possible. The ultimate SLS vehicle, Block 2, incorporates evolved boosters to reach a lift capacity of more than 45 t to TLI. The capabilities of SLS not only make new missions to the Moon possible, but also game-changing science missions, such as deployment of large-aperture space telescopes, spacecraft to the ice giants or even probes to the interstellar medium. This paper will discuss the capabilities of SLS, the vehicle’s planned evolution, missions that can effectively utilize the vehicle and manufacturing status of the vehicle.

Creech, Stephen D.↗
NASA NTRS2018

NASA's Space Launch System: Unprecedented Payload Capabilities

As part of a renewed focus on deep space exploration, NASA and its private sector and international partners are building a new super heavy-lift launch vehicle, the Space Launch System (SLS), as well as the new Orion crew vehicle, and upgrading launch facilities at Kennedy Space Center. Progress made on the Block 1 vehicle, as well as its expected performance metrics and fiscal support from the U.S. administration and Congress, have opened up additional manifest possibilities that the Agency continues to evaluate. Offering a combination of power, payload capacity and departure energy unmatched in contemporary boosters, the SLS family of launch vehicles features the world's most-proven propulsion system: solid rocket boosters and RS-25 main engines with a modified existing cryogenic in-space stage. The initial SLS configuration, Block 1, will deliver at least 26 metric tons (t) of payload to trans-lunar injection (TLI). The vehicle's flexible architecture will enable the rocket to evolve over the next decade to meet the most demanding deep space mission requirements. The second configuration, Block 1B, will deliver at least 34 to 40 t to TLI, depending on whether the crewed or cargo variant is selected. Although designed to facilitate human exploration of deep space, the vehicle also provides game-changing benefits for large science payloads and even harnesses excess capacity to provide small satellites with affordable access to deep space. For the first integrated mission of SLS and Orion, launching from Kennedy Space Center in fiscal year 2020, SLS Block 1 will send Orion on a 25.5-day mission to a distant retrograde lunar orbit with the primary objective to test and validate new systems and procedures. That first mission, called Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), also has 13 6U-class CubeSat payloads manifested. Those payloads, which will carry out a variety of scientific experiments and technology demonstrations, will deploy in several locations along the trajectory after Orion has separated from SLS. Contractors and suppliers have made significant progress since last year manufacturing the Block 1 vehicle for EM-1. The upper stage and adapters are complete as are the four RS-25 engines. All other major components are constructed and being outfitted for flight. In fact, hardware for the second flight is currently being manufactured at locations across the United States. This paper will outline hardware, avionics and testing progress toward the first and second flights of SLS. Manifest opportunities for primary, co-manifested and secondary payloads will be discussed. An in-depth look at payload utilization and integration will be provided, as well as lessons learned from installing a secondary payload deployment system for EM-1.

Creech, Steve↗
NASA NTRS2018

Accommodations for Secondary Payloads in NASA's Space Launch System

NASA's new heavy-lift launch vehicle, the Space Launch System (SLS), is moving closer to its planned 2019 launch, with the in-space stage and spacecraft adapters complete and all other major elements of the rocket manufactured and currently being outfitted for flight. Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), the first flight of SLS and the new Orion crew vehicle, will verify and validate new systems and provide an unparalleled opportunity for 13 6U CubeSat-class payloads to be released into deep space. Payloads are being developed by NASA, industry, international and academic partners and were selected for the EM-1 flight to address strategic knowledge gaps in the agency's plans for human deep space exploration. Destinations range from the lunar surface to an asteroid to an orbit around the Earth-moon L2 libration point. Missions include studying the effects of space radiation on a living organism (yeast), landing the smallest lander to date on the moon, and searching for water in permanently shaded lunar craters. Propulsion technology demonstrations include solar sails, use of inert water to carry out lunar gravity assist maneuvers, and use of new "green" chemical propellants. SLS employs an evolutionary design approach, with an initial capability of at least 26 metric tons (t) to trans-lunar injection (TLI). The later Block 1B configuration, which will become the Agency's workhorse launch vehicle into the 2020s, will lift at least 34 t to TLI in its crew configuration and at least 37 t in the cargo configuration. In addition to greater lift capability, Block 1B will also offer larger payload volume than Block 1 for both co-manifested and secondary payloads. In Block 1B, various combinations of 6U, 12U and 27U payloads may be accommodated in the vehicle's stage adapter. Opportunities for deep space research once out of reach for small science payloads will be within reach, opening many possibilities for exciting new technology demonstrations and scientific missions. This paper will provide an overview of the capabilities and the status of the Block 1 vehicle, with particular emphasis on the secondary payload accommodations and the deployment system. Brief descriptions of the 13 6U EM-1 payloads will be included. In addition, a discussion of the payload developers' responsibilities and the Space Launch System Program's roles and responsibilities in accommodating these and future payloads will be included. Finally, the author will look ahead to SLS Block 1B and missions beyond EM-1 and the opportunities for 6U, 12U and 27U CubeSats.

Robinson, Kimberly F.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Payload Utilization in NASA's Space Launch System

With Space Policy Directive 1, the United States administration has directed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Human Exploration & Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) to return to the Moon with missions and infrastructure designed to support a sustained presence in cislunar space, with robotic and human lunar surface operations. NASA’s new deep space exploration system — the super heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS), the Orion crew spacecraft and revamped launch facilities at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) — will enable NASA and its commercial and international partners to meet this goal for human exploration of deep space. SLS is the most capable launch vehicle for these efforts, as well as for sending robotic missions deep into the solar system, or even to interstellar space. The vehicle will be available in crew and cargo configurations in progressively more powerful block variants. The initial Block 1 lift capability of at least 26 metric tons (t) to trans-lunar injection (TLI) will be followed by a more powerful Block 1B with the power to loft more than 37 t to TLI. The ultimate Block 2 variant will lift more than 45 t to TLI. For payload accommodation, the Block 1 vehicle can utilize a 5 meter (m) fairing in its cargo configuration with the crew version also able to provide berths for 6U and 12U CubeSats as secondary payloads. The Block 1B crew vehicle will provide as much volume as the space shuttle payload bay in a Universal Stage Adapter (USA) for co-manifested payloads (CPLs). Block 1B cargo vehicles will offer 8.4 m-diameter fairings in 19.1 m and possibly longer lengths, with enough volume to accommodate lunar-orbiting habitat modules and other elements of NASA’s Gateway science outpost. For Mars-class payloads, larger fairings for the Block 2 cargo launcher are under consideration. For missions beyond the Earth-Moon system, SLS offers greater characteristic energy (C3) than any other launch vehicle, enabling shorter transit times or heavier payloads with more robust science packages for missions to the outer solar system. Indeed, the unmatched combination of thrust, payload volume and departure energy that SLS provides opens new opportunities for human and robotic exploration of deep space. This paper will provide an overview of the various vehicle block configurations, their capabilities and payload accommodations for sending primary, co-manifested and secondary payloads to deep space

Creech, Stephen D.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Payload Accommodations in NASA's Space Launch System, Block 1 and Beyond

As part of NASA's new deep space exploration system, the Space Launch System (SLS) will provide the United States with guaranteed access to deep space and an unparalleled capability for launching primary and co-manifested payloads beyond Earth's orbit. Planned missions for the new SLS family of vehicles include launching the Orion spacecraft and elements of the new Gateway astronaut-tended outpost to lunar orbit and sending robotic probes deep into the solar system, such as to Jupiter's moon Europa. If mission parameters allow, secondary payloads in 6U, 12U or larger sizes will also have rideshare opportunities, providing CubeSats with access to deep space. The SLS vehicle will evolve into progressively more powerful variants with fairings in several sizes available to meet an array of mission needs. Superior mass, volume and characteristic energy (C3) enable sending larger, heavier payloads to a variety of destinations. Several elements of the Block 1 vehicle for the first mission, Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) are complete and have been delivered to the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Program at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), which has responsibility for integrating and launching the vehicle. Contractors are already at work manufacturing the second Block 1 vehicle and incorporating numerous lessons learned in manufacturing America's first super heavy-lift deep space rocket since the Apollo Program's Saturn V enabled humankind to take a giant leap forward.

Schorr, Andrew A.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Nasa's Space Launch System: Exceptional Opportunities for Secondary Payloads to Deep Space

When NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) launches for the first time from Kennedy Space Center, it will send the Orion crew vehicle farther into space than a human-rated spacecraft has ever traveled. The primary objectives of this first uncrewed mission, Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), focus on verifying and validating the new technologies and integrated systems developed for SLS, Orion and Exploration Ground Systems (EGS), which together comprise NASA’s new deep space exploration system. EM-1 also provides the opportunity for 13 6U CubeSat secondary payloads to be deployed in deep space. As progress is being made toward that first launch, planning is also taking place for secondary payload opportunities on future missions. This paper will provide an overview of the status of the SLS Block 1 launch vehicle and an overview of the 6U payloads selected for EM-1. In addition, an overview of the EM-1 mission trajectories and the “bus stops” along the trajectory where the payloads will be deployed will be noted. Challenges and new workflows required in identifying and certifying potential payloads will be discussed. The paper will also discuss opportunities that will be presented by future evolutions of SLS.

Robinson, Kimberly F.↗
NASA NTRS2018

NASA's Space Launch System: Opportunities for Small Satellites to Deep Space Destinations

The first flight of NASA's new exploration-class launch vehicle, the Space Launch System (SLS), will test a myriad of systems designed to enable the next generation of deep space human spaceflight, while also providing the rare opportunity for 13 6U CubeSat-class payloads to be deployed in several locations along the flight path. The first mission of SLS and NASA's new Orion crew vehicle, Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), will launch from upgraded facilities at Kennedy Space Center no earlier than fiscal year 2020. The initial Block 1 configuration for EM-1 will be capable of lofting at least 26 metric tons (t) of payload to the moon, with propulsion supplied by twin five-segment solid rocket boosters, four RS-25 engines and an Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). SLS will send Orion into a distant retrograde lunar orbit, paving the way for future missions to cislunar space and eventually Mars. The multidisciplinary small satellites for EM-1 derive from NASA research, as well as from international partners, industry and academia. Research subjects for the various smallsats include the moon, sun and an asteroid. Science objectives vary from characterizing the effects of radiation on living organisms (yeast) to landing the smallest spacecraft yet on the moon to supporting space weather research. Some of the payloads are technology demonstrations that will pave the way for more ambitious future missions that will be deployed by the more powerful SLS Block 1B configuration.

Robinson, Kimberly F.↗
NASA NTRS2018

NASA's Space Launch System: Secondary Payload Accommodations in Block 1 and Beyond

Launching from pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center no earlier than December 2019, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) will send the Orion crew vehicle to a distant retrograde lunar orbit in order to test and validate the new systems developed for SLS, Orion and Kennedy Space Center's Exploration Ground Systems (EGS). In addition to these primary mission objectives, the first integrated fight of NASA's new deep space exploration system, Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), offers accommodations for 13 6U CubeSats, which will be deployed in deep space after Orion separates from the SLS Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). In 2017, the SLS Program, managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, completed the ICPS and delivered it to the EGS Program, which has responsibility for stacking and launch operations. The 13 EM-1 secondary payloads will reside in the Orion Stage Adapter (OSA), which connects the ICPS to Orion's spacecraft adapter. The OSA is essentially complete with preparations being made for transporting the hardware to Kennedy Space Center with accommodations for secondary payload dispensers and with the secondary payload avionics unit installed.

Robinson, Kimberly F.↗
NASA NTRS2018

NASA's Space Launch System: Deep-Space Opportunities for Smallsats

Designed to provide the significant capability required for human deep-space exploration, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) also provides a unique opportunity for lower-cost deep-space science in the form of small-satellite secondary payloads. This opportunity will be leveraged beginning with the rocket’s first flight; a launch of the vehicle’s Block 1 configuration, capable of delivering 70 metric tons (70t - tonnes) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which will see the Orion crew vehicle travel around the moon and return to Earth. On that flight, SLS will also deploy 13 6U (6 Unit) CubeSat-class payloads to multiple destinations including deep space. These secondary payloads will include not only NASA research, but also spacecraft from international partners, industry and academia. The payloads represent a variety of disciplines including, but not limited to, studies of the moon, Earth, sun, and asteroids, along with technology demonstrations that could pave the way for even more ambitious smallsat missions in the future. As the SLS Program is making significant progress toward that first launch, preparations are already under way for future missions, which will see the booster evolve to its more-capable Block 1B configuration, able to deliver 105t to LEO. That configuration will have the capability to carry large payloads co-manifested with the Orion spacecraft, or to utilize an 8.4-meter (m) fairing to carry payloads several times larger than are currently possible. The Block 1B vehicle will be the workhorse of the Proving Ground phase of NASA’s deep-space exploration plans, developing and testing the systems and capabilities necessary for human missions into deep space and ultimately to Mars. Ultimately, the vehicle will evolve to its full Block 2 configuration, with a LEO capability of 130 metric tons. Both the Block 1B and Block 2 versions of the vehicle will be able to carry larger secondary payloads than the Block 1 configuration, creating even more opportunities for affordable scientific exploration of deep space. This paper will outline the progress being made toward flying smallsats on the first flight of SLS, and discuss future opportunities for smallsats on subsequent flights.

Robinson, Kimberly F.↗
NASA NTRS2018

NASA's Space Launch System: Deep-Space Opportunities for Smallsats

Designed to provide the significant capability required for human deep-space exploration, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) also provides a unique opportunity for lower-cost deep-space science in the form of small-satellite secondary payloads. This opportunity will be leveraged beginning with the rocket's first flight; a launch of the vehicle's Block 1 configuration, capable of delivering at least 26 metric tons (t) to trans-lunar injection (TLI), which will see the Orion crew vehicle travel around the moon and return to Earth. On that flight, SLS will also deploy 13 6U CubeSat-class payloads to multiple destinations in deep space. These secondary payloads will include not only NASA research but also spacecraft from international partners, industry and academia. The payloads represent a variety of disciplines including, but not limited to, studies of the moon, Earth, sun and asteroids, along with technology demonstrations that could pave the way for even more ambitious smallsat missions in the future.

Robinson, Kimberly F.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Payload Utilization in NASA's Space Launch System

A revitalized National Space Council has directed NASA to return to the moon, with a series of preparatory missions paving the way for eventual human exploration. NASA's new deep space exploration system -- the heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS), the Orion crew spacecraft and revitalized launch facilities at Kennedy Space Center -- will enable NASA and its commercial and international partners to meet these goals for human deep space exploration. SLS will be the most capable launch vehicle for these efforts, with an initial Block 1 capability of at least 26 metric tons (t) to trans-lunar injection (TLI). A more powerful Block 1B, available in crew and cargo configurations, with have the power to loft more than 37 t to TLI; the ultimate Block 2 variant will lift more than 45 t to TLI. For payload utilization, the Block 1 vehicle will carry 13 6U CubeSats as secondary payloads while the Block 1B crew vehicle will provide as much volume as the space shuttle payload bay in a Universal Stage Adapter (USA). Block 1B cargo vehicles will offer 8.4 m fairings in 19.1 m and 27.4 m lengths, with enough volume to accommodate habitat modules and landers. For missions beyond the Earth-moon system, SLS offers greater characteristic energy (C3), enabling faster transit or heavier payloads to the outer planets. The first mission of SLS and Orion, launching no earlier than December 2019, will send Orion into lunar distant retrograde orbit (DRO) on an approximately 25-day shakedown cruise known as Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), enabling NASA to verify and validate new systems before sending astronauts to deep space on the next exploration mission. The SLS program and its prime contractors have made significant progress toward first launch, with several major components of the vehicle completed and delivered to the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Program at Kennedy Space Center. Major forward work includes integrating tanks, engines and other major sections into the EM-1 core stage at Michoud Assembly Facility and then shipping the entire core stage assembly to Stennis Space Center. There, it will be installed in the refurbished B-2 test stand for a series of integrated stage tests culminating in a green run hotfire test. The Program's Spacecraft Payload Integration and Evolution (SPIE) Office, responsible for the in-space stage, adapters and payload interfaces, has largely completed its effort on the Block 1 vehicle and is supporting manufacture of the first Block 1B vehicle. This paper will provide an overview of the Block 1 vehicle, its expected capabilities, secondary payload accommodations and manufacturing status, including structural testing and the challenges of developing a new launch vehicle. A lookahead to the Block 1B vehicle and the payload utilization opportunities it will provide in the 2020s will also be discussed, including the unique capabilities of the vehicle.

Creech, Stephen D.↗