The Deep Space Habitat is a series of concepts by NASA that would be used to support crewed exploration missions to the Moon, asteroids, and eventually Mars.
Overview
Since 2012, numerous iterations of large lunar and Mars transport habitats have been conceived in previous studies to be launched with the upcoming Space Launch System, and are intended to also be compatible with the Orion capsule. Variations of the designs would be used for the Lunar Gateway and the Deep Space Transport. Early preliminary concepts considered 60-day and 500-day mission configurations, composed of International Space Station-derived hardware, the Orion crew capsule and various support craft. The habitat would be equipped with at least one International Docking System Standard docking system. Developing a deep space habitat would allow a crew to live and work safely in space for about one year on missions to explore cislunar space, Mars, and some near-Earth asteroids. In 2015 NASA funded studies for several types of deep space habitat concepts under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships. Lockheed Martin, the main contractor of the Orion capsule, has also produced in 2018 a Deep Space Habitat concept. These concept studies will help NASA decide on a final design for the habitat element for the Lunar Gateway with a contract potentially to be awarded in fiscal year 2019.
500 Day Mission - The 500 Day mission variant would consist of the same 60-day crew habitat and crew size. Mass increases would result from the addition of a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module to provide additional supply storage for the extended mission duration. It would be 8 m long and 4.5 m in diameter.
MPLM/Node 1
60 Day Mission - The basic vehicle elements for this configuration would include a CPS, a MPLM, Utility tunnel/airlock, Node 4 Structural Test Article. The Node element would allow for the attachment of more than one FlexCraft or Space Exploration Vehicle. The Habitat would be crew serviceable at the front of the Node element opposite the tunnel.
500 Day Mission - This 500-day mission variant would have a second MPLM attached to the front on the vehicle as well as add a Cupola to the Node section.
Suggested support craft
Orion, is being developed by NASA, Lockheed Martin, and Airbus Defence and Space for crewed deep space travel. It is capable of carrying 4 crew, and able to withstand re-entry speeds from lunar or Martian trajectories.
MMSEV - a NASA-designed servicing craft. Capable of supporting a crew of two for up to 2 weeks and having suitports for extravehicular activity.
DSH FlexCraft - a single crew vehicle, attached to the DSH similar to a visiting craft to the International Space Station.
