In order to
maximize investment in, and benefits of, future deep space exploration
platforms and technologies, NASA and its International Space Station
partners have collaborated to draft standards that address seven priority areas in which technology compatibility is crucial for global cooperation.
The agency and its partners are seeking feedback
on these draft interoperability standards, which cover: avionics,
communications, environmental control and life support systems, power
systems, rendezvous operations, robotics, and thermal systems. This
standardization effort aims to support commonality without dictating
design features beyond the interfaces that allow hardware systems to
operate with each other.
“Contributions from the global community will improve the quality of
the interoperability standards and help enable development of the
systems necessary to meet global exploration goals,” said William
Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for NASA’s Human Exploration and
Operations Mission Directorate. “Having compatible hardware will allow
differing designs to operate with each other. This could allow for crew
rescue missions and support from any spacecraft built to these
standards.”
The goal is to provide a final, baseline version of the standards in
the summer 2018 timeframe. The first potential application of these
standard may be the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway,
NASA’s lunar outpost that will extend human presence in deep space.
However, the standards are meant to be applicable to all deep space
environments.
These interoperability standards will build upon the successful global collaboration that went into developing the International Docking System Standard
– the standard used for the International Space Station – which
provides a path for government and commercial entities alike to develop a
docking system compatible with others.
For more about the deep space interoperability standards, visit:
https://www.
