SPACE-LOGISTICS

We are combining the network and supply/demand models with existing space logistics models from the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station... Any interplanetary supply-chain has to balance the requirements of reliability (redundant transportation modes) with cost-efficiency (few buffers, routes). We are helping NASA address this challenge directly... We are building an integrated network model of space logistics, where the nodes are Earth-Moon-Mars-orbits, Lagrangian points and expected landing-exploration sites. The arcs represent cargo and element flows between the nodes. These cargo flows are manifested into individual flights. Cargo (and crew) reach a planetary surface using one of the following three modes: (i) pre-deployment, (ii) carry-along with the crew (iii) scheduled or on-demand resupply. One significant difference between terrestrial and space logistics is that the nodal-motion in space creates time and energy dependencies in the network that do not exist on..

Primary location: Cambridge United States