Deep Space Habitat Project (DSH)

The Deep Space Habitat was closed out at the end of Fiscal Year 2013 (September 30, 2013). Results and select content have been incorporated into the new Exploration Augmentation Module (EAM) Project. The Deep Space Habitat project charter is to 1) Define and mature space habitat concepts and architectures; 2) Transition habitat-related products into demonstration prototypes; 3) Mature habitat-related concepts, technologies and systems; and 4) Focus and infuse habitat-related technologies.

The Deep Space Habitat project delivers concepts for light-weight, safe and reliable exploration habitats capable of:      o Supporting humans living and working in space and on planetary bodies      o Autonomous operation      o Systems failure detection, analysis, and self-repair The Deep Space Habitat project investigates habitation concepts for multiple destinations such as:      o Cis-lunar space      o Interplanetary Space (to include Near Earth Asteroids) This is to drive out opportunities for commonality, early development investment, and early risk mitigation. This project also focuses on maturing exploration habitation subsystems such as:      o Structures and mechanisms      o Environmental control and life support systems      o Active and passive thermal control systems      o Power management and distribution      o Avionics      o Software management system      o Communications      o Environmental protection & particulate (dust) mitigation      o Mission operations/command & control      o Crew systems/interfaces: displays & controls, galleys, quarters      o Extravehicular activity & robotics      o Instrumentation & sensors      o Food supplementation The process for the Deep Space Habitat project to deliver on these objectives include iterative loops of:      o Concept definition and development      o Systems integration      o Testing      o Building and outfitting habitation prototypes The habitat prototypes function as a(n)      o Technology pull      o Test bed      o Integration capability to advance NASA's understanding of alternative      o Mission architectures      o Requirements      o Operations concepts definition and validation