biology

Space Exploration Vehicle

Space Exploration Vehicle is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Space Exploration Vehicle rather than just read about it. In short: The Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) is a modular vehicle concept developed by NASA from 2008 to 2015. It would have consisted of a pressurized cabin that could be mated either with a wheeled chassis to form a rover for planetary surface exploration (on the Moon and elsewhere) or to a flying platform for open space missions such as servicing satellites and missions to near-Earth asteroids.

Key takeaways

Space Exploration Vehicle belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Space Exploration Vehicle to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Space Exploration Vehicle from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) is a modular vehicle concept developed by NASA from 2008 to 2015. It would have consisted of a pressurized cabin that could be mated either with a wheeled chassis to form a rover for planetary surface exploration (on the Moon and elsewhere) or to a flying platform for open space missions such as servicing satellites and missions to near-Earth asteroids. The concept evolved from the Lunar Electric Rover (LER) concept, which in turn was a development of the Small Pressurized Rover (SPR) concept. Concept vehicles of the Lunar Electric Rover (and later, the SEV) were tested during the Desert Research and Technology Studies in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. One of the LER concept vehicles took part in the presidential inauguration parade of Barack Obama in 2009. The chassis and structural elements of these concept vehicles were fabricated by Off-Road International. Research and testing continued in 2012 in the Johnson Space Center with a mock-up of a free-flying SEV simulating a mission to an asteroid. Development of the SEV continued, producing variants called the Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle (MMSEV) and in 2013 a cabin for a possible lunar lander called the Alternate MMSEV (AMMSEV). The SEV was developed together with other projects under the Advanced Explorations Systems Program. The program's budget for FY 2010 was $152.9 million.

Features The SEV is the size of a small pickup truck, has 12 wheels, and can house two astronauts for up to two weeks. The SEV consists of a chassis and cabin module. The SEV will allow the attachment of tools such as cranes, cable reels, backhoes and winches. Designed for two occupants, this vehicle is capable of supporting four in an emergency. With wheels that can pivot 360 degrees, the SEV can drive in any direction. Astronauts can enter and exit without space suits directly from an airlock docking hatch, or through a suitport without the need to depressurize the habitat module. The pressurized module contains a small bathroom with privacy curtains and a shower head producing a water mist for sponge baths. It also contains cabinets for tools, workbench areas and two crew seats that can fold back into beds.

Specifications (2008 design) Speed: 10 km/h (6 mph) Range: 125 km (78 mi)

SEV

Mass: 3,000 kg (6,614 lb) Payload: 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) Length: 4.5 m (180 in) Wheelbase: 4 m (160 in) Height: 3 m (120 in) Wheels: 12 wheels with each at 99 cm (39 in) in diameter, 30.5 cm (12.0 in) wide

Chassis Mass: 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) Payload: 3,000 kg (6,614 lb) Length: 4.5 m (180 in) Wheelbase: 4 m (160 in) Height: 1.3 m (51 in) Wheels: 12 wheels with each at 99 cm (39 in) in diameter, 30.5 cm (12.0 in) wide

See also Lunar Roving Vehicle, the 1970s Apollo program Moon rover used on Apollo 15, 16, and 17 Crewed Mars rover Mars habitat

References

External links

SEV Fact Sheet LER Fact Sheet Small Pressurized Rover on HowStuffWorks Mission concept video

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Space Exploration Vehicle

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Space Exploration Vehicle claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Space Exploration Vehicle before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Space Exploration Vehicle ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Space Exploration Vehicle

In research: Space Exploration Vehicle appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Space Exploration Vehicle in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Space Exploration Vehicle is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cancelled Lunar rovers, Deep Space Habitat, Exploration of the Moon, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Space Exploration Vehicle outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Space Exploration Vehicle in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Space Exploration Vehicle means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Space Exploration Vehicle out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Space Exploration Vehicle in simple terms?

Why does Space Exploration Vehicle matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Space Exploration Vehicle?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Space Exploration Vehicle.