The Space Superhighway is a concept for an in-space logistics network for payload delivery and propellant resupply within the Earth-Moon system. It is expected that in the next several years the number of spacecraft in cislunar space will increase significantly. Commercial launch service providers have significantly reduced the cost of access to space and reduced the barrier to entry for private companies to build and operate their own satellites. Many of these newer satellites are being designed to take advantage of future In-space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities. In addition, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) intends to develop and maintain a sustained human presence in cislunar space and on the surface of the Moon. The sustained lunar presence will then serve as a steppingstone for human missions to Mars. The combined demand for propellant resupply and payload delivery in cislunar space for NASA's Moon to Mars campaign in addition to commercial ventures will likely exceed 1,000 t in the upcoming decades. This work presents a concept for an in-space logistics network to fulfill that demand. The network consists of commercial launch vehicles, propellant tankers, orbital depots, and in-space electric propulsion tugs. This work specifically analyzes the cost of developing, producing, and operating such a network at varying levels of customer demand.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    The Space Superhighway: A Cost Analysis of an In-Space Logistics Resupply Network


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    ASCEND ; 2022 ; Las Vegas, Nv, US


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Space Superhighway: A Cost Analysis of an In-Space Logistics Resupply Network

    P. D. Friz / D. J. Tiffin / E. W. Rosenthal | NTIS | 2022


    Space Superhighway: A Cost Analysis of an In-Space Logistics Resupply Network

    P. D. Friz / D. J. Tiffin / E. W. Rosenthal | NTIS | 2022


    The Space Superhighway: A Cost Analysis of an In-Space Logistics Resupply Network

    Friz, Paul D. / Tiffin, Daniel J. / Rosenthal, Edward | AIAA | 2022


    The Space Superhighway: A Cost Analysis of an In-Space Logistics Resupply Network

    Paul D. Friz / Daniel J. Tiffin / Edward W. Rosenthal | NTRS