Check out the publisher’s description of the first comprehensive book about space architecture, “Out of This World: The New Field of Space Architecture.”
Archive for August, 2009
Earth Analog Intro
Monday, August 17th, 2009The scope and charter for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Space Architecture Technical Committee (SATC) states that Space Architecture on Earth includes “earth-based control, experiment, launch, logistics, payload, simulation and test facilities.” Furthermore, “Earth analogs to space applications may include Antarctic, airborne, desert, high altitude, underground, undersea environments and closed ecological systems.”
Planetary Surface Architecture Intro
Monday, August 17th, 2009Planetary Surface Construction refers to artificial habitats and other structures constructed on the surface of other planets, asteroids, and other heavenly bodies. Planetary surface construction can be divided into three phases or classes, coinciding with a phased schedule for habitation (Kennedy 2002, Smith 1993):
• Class I: Pre-integrated hard shell modules ready to use immediately upon delivery.
• Class II: Prefabricated kit-of-parts that is surface assembled after delivery.
• Class III: In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) derived structure with integrated Earth components.
Class I structures are prepared and tested on Earth, and are designed to be fully self-contained habitats that can be delivered to the surface of other planets. In an initial mission to put human explorers on Mars, a Class I habitat would provide the bare minimum habitable facilities when continued support from Earth is not possible.
The Class II structures call for a pre-manufactured kit-of-parts system that has flexible capacity for demountability and reuse. Class II structures can be used to expand the facilities established by the initial Class I habitat, and can allow for the assembly of additional structures either before the crew arrives, or after their occupancy of the pre-integrated habitat.
The purpose of Class III structures is to allow for the construction of additional facilities that would support a larger population, and to develop the capacity for the local production of building materials and structures without the need for resupply from Earth.
To facilitate the development of technology required to implement the three phases, Cohen and Kennedy (1997) stress the need to explore robust robotic system concepts that can be used to assist in the construction process, or perform the tasks autonomously. Among other things, they suggest a roadmap that stresses the need for adapting structural components for robotic assembly, and determining appropriate levels of modularity, assembly, and component packaging. The roadmap also sets the development of experimental construction systems in parallel with components as an important milestone.
M.M. Cohen; K.J. Kennedy (1997). Habitats and Surface Construction Technology and Development Roadmap. In A. Noor, J. Malone (Eds.), Government Sponsored Programs on Structures Technology (NASA CP-97-206241, p. 75-96). Washington, DC, USA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
K.J. Kennedy (2002). The Vernacular of Space Architecture (AIAA 2002-6102). 1st Space Architecture Symposium (SAS 2002), Houston, Texas, USA, 10-11 October 2002. Reston, Virginia, USA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
A. Smith (1993). Mechanics of Materials in Lunar Base Design. in H. Benaroya (Ed.) Applied Mechanics of a Lunar Base, Applied Mechanics Review, Vol 46, No 6. pp. 268-271.
Orbital Space Architecture Intro
Monday, August 17th, 2009Orbital Space Architecture refers to habitable environments in free fall around Earth, the Moon, other planets, or in transit between planetary bodies and Near Earth Objects. The environment that characterizes orbital habitats includes microgravity, hard vacuum, exposure to solar flares, and cosmic radiation.
Definition of Space Architecture
Monday, August 17th, 2009According to the Millenium Charter, signed by 47 Architects and designers from 16 countries who are expert in design for aviation and human spaceflight, “Space Architecture is the theory and practice of designing and building inhabited environments in outer space”.
The scope and charter for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Space Architecture Technical Committee (SATC) defines Space Architecture “broadly to encompass architectural design of living and working environments in space-related facilities, habitats, and vehicles. These environments include, but are not limited to: space vehicles, stations, habitats and lunar and planetary bases; and earth-based control, experiment, launch, logistics, payload, simulation and test facilities. Earth analogs to space applications may include Antarctic, airborne, desert, high altitude, underground, undersea environments and closed ecological systems. Designing these forms of architecture presents a particular challenge: to ensure and support safety, habitability, human reliability, and crew productivity in the context of extreme and unforgiving environments.”