Enabling Opportunities for Large Space Telescopes in the Era of the Exploration Initiative

We discuss enabling opportunities and implementation strategies for human and robotic servicing of a large space telescope operating at the Earth-Sun L2 location. The NASA SAFIR (Single Aperture Far Infrared) Vision Mission is used as a representative strawman case. Following earlier agency studies, we consider "gateway" operations at the Earth-Moon L1 location in a scenario that might involve a Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). We assess requirements for that vehicle that would permit such servicing operations. We consider propulsion-economical observatory transfer between L1 and L2, the importance of subsystem modularity, strategies for contamination mitigation and on-orbit integration and test, and the functional relationship of humans and robots, including latency issues for telerobotics. Issues of safety and risk to observatory and personnel are reviewed. Options for in situ servicing at L2 are briefly considered. Opportunities are discussed in the context of value that such an L1 gateway might have to lunar surface efforts and other exploration goals. This work is supported by the NASA Science Mission Directorate.