Optimized Space Mission and Vehicle Design Habitability as a Tier-One Criterion in Advanced Space Mission and Vehicle Design: Part Three

In this, the third and final segment of our preliminary investigation into the impact of providing for good habitability in an advanced space mission, we review the findings of our assessment of existing vehicle and facility types. From these findings, three things are clear: first, that launch constraints tend to drive the available dimensions for all space payloads and thus also for potential habitats; and secondly, that a habitat configuration which is successful at one dimension is not equally successful at another scale. Finally, the principle of economy and optimization clearly prohibits the effective use of a single component for both microgravity and surface habitation. Based on these findings and keeping habitability foremost in our criteria, we will attempt in this paper to propose a reference mission concept whose components are optimal for habitability and thus represent a first step in reducing risks inherent in the human system.