Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS): Activities in Preparation for Future Exploration Missions

Abstract

The mission of the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise is to open the space frontier by exploring, using, and enabling the development of space and to expand the human experience into the far reaches of space. One of its major goals is to prepare to conduct human missions of exploration to planetary and other bodies in the solar system. In support of this goal, programs are in place to develop capabilities to ensure astronaut health and well being, and to develop technologies which will be used in next generation life support and environmental monitoring systems. A possible near-term target of opportunity is a human mission to Mars. Therefore, a major strategy that NASA employs is to take advantage of investigations on robotic Mars missions that will return data critical for planning human missions to Mars. This paper describes the elements of the Advanced Human Support Technologies Program and the Biomedical Research and Countermeasures Program. It also describes HEDS participation in the Mars Surveyor Program missions, including experiments which are under development for the 2001 Orbiter and Lander missions, and plans to develop experiments for the 2003 and 2005 mission opportunities.