Towards an extension of equivalent system mass for human exploration missions on Mars
Abstract NASA mission systems proposals are often compared using an equivalent system mass (ESM) framework, wherein all elements of a technology to deliver an effect—its components, operations, and logistics of delivery—are converted to effective masses, which has a known cost scale in space operati...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2022-08-01
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| Series: | npj Microgravity |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-022-00214-7 |
| _version_ | 1797642303154683904 |
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| author | Davian Ho Georgios Makrygiorgos Avery Hill Aaron J. Berliner |
| author_facet | Davian Ho Georgios Makrygiorgos Avery Hill Aaron J. Berliner |
| author_sort | Davian Ho |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract NASA mission systems proposals are often compared using an equivalent system mass (ESM) framework, wherein all elements of a technology to deliver an effect—its components, operations, and logistics of delivery—are converted to effective masses, which has a known cost scale in space operations. To date, ESM methods and the tools for system comparison largely fail to consider complexities stemming from multiple transit and operations stages, such as would be required to support a crewed mission to Mars, and thus do not account for different mass equivalency factors during each period and the inter-dependencies of the costs across the mission segments. Further, ESM does not account well for the differential reliabilities of the underlying technologies. The uncertainty in the performance of technology should incur an equivalent mass penalty for technology options that might otherwise provide a mass advantage. Here we draw attention to the importance of addressing these limitations and formulate the basis of an extension of ESM that allows for a direct method for analyzing, optimizing, and comparing different mission systems. We outline a preliminary example of applying extended ESM (xESM) through a techno-economic calculation of crop-production technologies as an illustrative case for developing offworld biomanufacturing systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T13:58:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6b0dccab91564e7f9eec3c438ad6dade |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2373-8065 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T13:58:06Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Microgravity |
| spelling | doaj.art-6b0dccab91564e7f9eec3c438ad6dade2023-11-02T05:40:13ZengNature Portfolionpj Microgravity2373-80652022-08-018111010.1038/s41526-022-00214-7Towards an extension of equivalent system mass for human exploration missions on MarsDavian Ho0Georgios Makrygiorgos1Avery Hill2Aaron J. Berliner3Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES)Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES)Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES)Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES)Abstract NASA mission systems proposals are often compared using an equivalent system mass (ESM) framework, wherein all elements of a technology to deliver an effect—its components, operations, and logistics of delivery—are converted to effective masses, which has a known cost scale in space operations. To date, ESM methods and the tools for system comparison largely fail to consider complexities stemming from multiple transit and operations stages, such as would be required to support a crewed mission to Mars, and thus do not account for different mass equivalency factors during each period and the inter-dependencies of the costs across the mission segments. Further, ESM does not account well for the differential reliabilities of the underlying technologies. The uncertainty in the performance of technology should incur an equivalent mass penalty for technology options that might otherwise provide a mass advantage. Here we draw attention to the importance of addressing these limitations and formulate the basis of an extension of ESM that allows for a direct method for analyzing, optimizing, and comparing different mission systems. We outline a preliminary example of applying extended ESM (xESM) through a techno-economic calculation of crop-production technologies as an illustrative case for developing offworld biomanufacturing systems.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-022-00214-7 |
| spellingShingle | Davian Ho Georgios Makrygiorgos Avery Hill Aaron J. Berliner Towards an extension of equivalent system mass for human exploration missions on Mars npj Microgravity |
| title | Towards an extension of equivalent system mass for human exploration missions on Mars |
| title_full | Towards an extension of equivalent system mass for human exploration missions on Mars |
| title_fullStr | Towards an extension of equivalent system mass for human exploration missions on Mars |
| title_full_unstemmed | Towards an extension of equivalent system mass for human exploration missions on Mars |
| title_short | Towards an extension of equivalent system mass for human exploration missions on Mars |
| title_sort | towards an extension of equivalent system mass for human exploration missions on mars |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-022-00214-7 |
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