NASA/NSTA Web Seminar:

Living and Working in Space: Energy

LIVE INTERACTIVE LEARNING @ YOUR DESKTOP

Thursday, February 1, 2007

7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time

Providing Energy for Space Systems

Steven E. JohnsonUnited Space Alliance, LLC ISS Flight ControllerNASA Johnson Space Center

Copyright © 2007 by United Space Alliance, LLC.  These materials are sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Contract NAS9-20000 and Contract NNJ06VA01C.  The U.S. Government retains a paid-up, nonexclusive, irrevocable worldwide license in such materials to reproduce, prepare, derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, by or on behalf of the U.S. Government.  All other rights are reserved by the

copyright owner.

Who I Am

• Originally from Indiana, currently in Texas

• BS in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University

• International Space Station (ISS) Flight Controller since 2000

• Work in Mission Control Center (MCC), Houston, TX

What I Do

• ISS is ‘flown’ from MCC, not from a ‘cockpit’

• Flight Controllers monitor data sent down from ISS and send up commands to ISS

• Commands to ISS manipulate systems, turn equipment on/off, and change operational functions

• Almost all failures on board ISS are assessed, troubleshot, and recovered by Flight Controllers in MCC

ISS Mission Control Center (MCC)Where’s Steven?

Today’s Learning Objectives

After reviewing the presentation, participants will: – List the three types of spacecraft power

systems.

– State advantages and disadvantages of spacecraft power system types

– Identify the type of power system theoretical spacecraft should employ

SpacecraftPowerSystemOptions

Solar NuclearEnergyStorage

Energy Systems 101Powering Spacecraft

Spacecraft Power System Options

Voyager

Galileo Ulysses

Cassini at Saturn

Viking on

Mars&

Nuclear Solar Energy Storage

Nuclear PowerEvaluation

Nuclear Power Advantages– Provides a very long-term energy

source

– Allows independent space system operation

– Solar pointing system not required

– Currently the only viable option for non-solar missions longer than ~2 weeks and missions traveling beyond Mars

Nuclear PowerEvaluation

Nuclear Power Disadvantages– Low power capability

– Expensive

– Requires custom-built system for each application

Apollo

SpaceShuttle

Spacecraft Power System Options

&

Nuclear Solar Energy Storage

Energy StorageEvaluation

Energy Storage Advantages–Allows independent space

system operation

–Solar pointing system not required

Energy StorageEvaluation

Energy Storage Disadvantages– Limited mission duration

– Requires custom-built system for each application

– Fuel Cell systems produce by products (water) which must be stored/dumped

Mir

Hubble

Nuclear Solar Energy Storage

Mir

Spacecraft Power System Options

Solar PowerEvaluation

Solar Power Advantages– Unlimited energy supply

– Modular

– Established manufacturing base

– Cost effective

Solar PowerEvaluation

Solar Power Disadvantages– Requires a significant illumination

source

– Most solar-powered space systems require additional energy storage (battery) systems

– Most free-flight systems are dependant on a vehicle control system to point the spacecraft and/or solar arrays

International Space Station

Update

International Space StationPrior to STS-115/12A

International Space StationAfter STS-115/12A

International Space StationAfter STS-116/12A.1 (Current)

ISS Facts

How long does it take for the ISS to go around the Earth one time?

30 minutes 90 minutes 3 hours 8 hours

International Space StationAfter STS-116/12A.1 (Current)

International Space StationAfter STS-117/13A

International Space StationAfter STS-120/10A

ISS Facts

Can the Space Station be seen from Earth without a telescope?

Yes No

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html

The ISS can be seen from Earth without a telescope

I have seen the ISS from Earth without a telescope.

A. Yes

B. No

C. Not sure

International Space StationAfter STS-115/15A

International Space StationAssembly Complete

Apply Your Knowledge

Theoretical Application 1

• Engineering is developing a small free-ranging robotic device to operate outside of the ISS.

• The device will need to

– Operate for 6 hours

– Have 12 Volt video, photograph, and control systems

Nuclear Solar Energy Storage

Theoretical Application 1: Answer

Energy Storage (battery)

1.

2.

3.

Why?

Theoretical Application 2

• A space system is required to investigate Jupiter’s moon Io

• The system will be launched on an unmanned rocket

• The system will operate for 6 years or more

• The system will perform scientific research using sensors, cameras, and sample collectors

Nuclear Solar Energy Storage

Theoretical Application 2: Answer

Nuclear Power

1.

2.

3.

Why?

Theoretical Application 3

• A mission has been requested for sun surface observation and space environment sensing

• The spacecraft will need to – Orbit the sun for 10+ years– Observe the sun with video

and radiation detection equipment

– Sense space weather events

Nuclear Solar Energy Storage

Theoretical Application 3: Answer

Solar Power

1.

2.

3.

Why?

SpacecraftPowerSystemOptions

Solar NuclearEnergyStorage

Energy Systems 101: SummaryPowering Spacecraft

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Al Byers, Assistant Executive Director e-Learning

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