The next generation of human-rated space vehicles will need to keep humans alive further fromEarth than ever before. This prospect introduces many unique challenges including issues with
logistics, communications, and safety. The nature of deep-space habitation will necessitate a
level of vehicle autonomy not yet realized for human-rated spacecraft. This work proposes that
Digital Twin technology can be used as a new tool to enable heightened autonomy and
situational awareness that will ensure the safety of the vehicle and its crew. Use-cases specific
to deep-space habitation are explored in detail. A Digital Twin Framework capable of
supporting deep-space habitat autonomy is proposed and applicable engineering requirements
are established. A demonstration implementation is proposed as a proof of concept to show
the basic functioning and utility of the proposed Digital Twin. This study found that a Digital
Twin is a necessary and enabling piece of technology for future human-rated spacecraft
venturing into deep-space. Necessary future research targets are identified including reducedorder
system-of-systems modeling, cross-scale coupling of models, integrated model
verification and validation, and semantic interoperability that allows clear communication of
any data, information, or query between the Digital Twin and its users.