EXPLORATION SYSTEMS MISSION DIRECTORATE LUNAR SURFACE SYSTEMS CONCEPTS STUDY THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA) IS CURRENTLY STUDYING LUNAR OUTPOST ARCHITECTURE CONCEPTS, INCLUDING HABITATION, MOBILITY AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, TO SUPPORT U.S. LUNAR EXPLORATION AND SCIENCE OBJECTIVES. NASA IS IN THE PROCESS OF DEFINING FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES AND CONCEPTS FOR ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS TO PROVIDE CORE CAPABILITIES. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREAS ALTERNATIVE PACKAGING OPTIONS OBJECTIVE THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO PRODUCE ALTERNATIVE PACKING OPTIONS THAT ELIMINATE OR MINIMIZE WASTE GENERATION FROM PACKING MATERIALS AND ALLOW OPTIMAL UTILIZATION OF AVAILABLE STOWAGE VOLUME. POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVES CAN INCLUDE CONCEPTS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE PACKING MATERIAL AT ALL OR THAT EMPLOY PACKING MATERIALS THAT HAVE SECONDARY USES. A THIRD, BUT LESS DESIRABLE, APPROACH WOULD BE PACKING MATERIALS WHOSE VOLUME IS REDUCED FOLLOWING USE BUT WHICH STILL BECOME WASTE. ALL OPTIONS MUST SATISFY APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIAL PACKING FUNCTION, MUST STRIVE TO MINIMIZE THE MASS OF THE PACKING MATERIALS, AND MUST COMPLY WITH OTHER SPACEFLIGHT REQUIREMENTS SUCH AS FLAMMABILITY AND OFFGASSING. AN ADDITIONAL GOAL IS THAT THE MASS OF PACKING MATERIAL NOT EXCEED THE MASS OF THE ITEM, OR ITEMS, BEING PACKED. BACKGROUND HISTORICALLY, PACKING MATERIALS HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED TO PROTECT STOWABLE HARDWARE ITEMS DURING ASCENT FROM THE AMBIENT VIBROACOUSTIC ENVIRONMENT. EXAMPLES OF ITEMS THAT ARE PACKED IN THIS WAY INCLUDE SPARE SPACECRAFT HARDWARE COMPONENTS, TOOLS, SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS, FOOD AND PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT. THESE PACKING MATERIALS OCCUPY A SIGNIFICANT FRACTION OF THE AVAILABLE STOWAGE VOLUME. ADDITIONALLY, THESE PACKING MATERIALS ACCOUNT FOR A VERY SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF THE WASTE STREAM THAT EVOLVES DURING A MISSION AS THE STOWED ITEMS ARE UTILIZED AND THE PACKING MATERIAL NO LONGER SERVES A PURPOSE. THE END RESULT IS CONSUMPTION OF STOWAGE VOLUME BY MATERIAL THAT ENDS UP AS WASTE. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS TOPIC-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE ORAL AND WRITTEN CONTRACT DELIVERABLES, SPECIFIED IN PARAGRAPH 8 OF SECTION IX, INCLUDE: 1. DEFINING THE PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS 2. ADDRESSING COMPLIANCE WITH FUNCTIONAL AND COMPATIBILITY REQUIREMENTS 3. DEFINING THE UNIT MASS OF PROPOSED MATERIALS, AND 4. DEFINING SECONDARY USES OF MATERIALS, AS APPLICABLE. MINIMUM FUNCTIONALITY HABITATION ELEMENT OBJECTIVE THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO PRODUCE A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR A MINIMUM FUNCTIONALITY HABITATION ELEMENT BASED ON A MINIMUM SET OF FUNCTIONS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO PERFORM THE REFERENCE MISSION. THE MINIMUM FUNCTIONALITY HABITATION ELEMENT INCLUDES BASIC REQUIRED SAFETY FEATURES BUT DOES NOT PROTECT FOR CONTINGENCY SITUATIONS.