Abstract
In-space propulsion begins where the launch vehicle upper stage leaves off, performing the functions of primary propulsion, reaction control, station keeping, precision pointing, and orbital maneuvering. The main engines used in space provide the primary propulsive force for orbit transfer, planetary trajectories, and extraplanetary landing and ascent. The reaction control and orbital maneuvering systems provide the propulsive force for orbit maintenance, position control, station keeping, and spacecraft attitude control.
Advanced in-space propulsion technologies will enable much more effective exploration of our solar system and will permit mission designers to plan missions to “fly anytime, anywhere, and complete a host of science objectives at the destinations” with greater reliability and safety. With wide range of possible missions and candidate propulsion technologies, the question of which technologies are “best” for future missions is a difficult one. A portfolio of propulsion technologies should be developed to provide optimum solutions for a diverse set of missions and destinations. A large fraction of the rocket engines in use today are chemical rockets; that is, they obtain the energy needed to generate thrust by chemical reactions to create a hot gas that is expanded to produce thrust. A significant limitation of chemical propulsion is that it has a relatively low specific impulse (Is or thrust per mass flow rate of propellant).
A significant improvement (>30 %) in Is can be obtained by using cryogenic propellants, such as liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, for example. Historically, these propellants have not been applied beyond upper stages.
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- AF315E:
-
Liquid monopropellant under study at Edwards Air Force Base
- AHMS:
-
Advanced Health Management System
- AMPM:
-
Agency Mission Planning Model
- ARC:
-
Ames Research Center
- ATP:
-
Authority to proceed
- CFM:
-
Cryogenic fluid management
- ClF3 :
-
Chlorine trifluoride
- ClF5 :
-
Chlorine pentafluoride
- DRA:
-
Design Reference Architecture
- DRM:
-
Design Reference Mission
- ECLS:
-
Environmental Control and Life Support
- EHS:
-
Environmental Health System
- GRC:
-
Glenn Research Center
- GTO:
-
Geostationary transfer orbit
- HEDM:
-
High-energy density materials
- HEFT:
-
Human Exploration Framework Team
- HmNT:
-
Hydrazine milli-Newton thruster
- HTPB:
-
Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene
- IMLEO:
-
Initial mass in low Earth orbit
- ISHM:
-
Integrated System Health Management
- ISPSTA:
-
In-space propulsion system technology area
- ISRU:
-
In situ resource utilization
- ISS:
-
International Space Station
- JAXA:
-
Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency
- JSC:
-
Johnson Space Center
- KSC:
-
Kennedy Space Center
- LST:
-
Life Support Technologies
- MMH:
-
Monomethylhydrazine
- MMOD:
-
Micrometeoroid/orbital debris
- MSFC:
-
Marshall Space Flight Center
- NOFB:
-
Nitrous oxide fuel blend monopropellants
- NTO:
-
Nitrogen tetroxide, N2O4
- OF2 :
-
Oxygen difluoride
- ProSEDS:
-
Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System
- RCS:
-
Reaction control system
- SDI:
-
Strategic Defense Initiative
- SMD:
-
Science Mission Directorate
- SOA:
-
State-of-art
- TA:
-
Technology area
- TABS:
-
Technology Area Breakdown Structure
- TRL:
-
Technology Readiness Level
- XLR-132:
-
Advanced NTO/MMH pump-fed engine technology
- ZBO:
-
Zero boil-off
References
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Human Exploration Framework Team (HEFT) DRM review – phase 1 closeout, Steering Council. http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2010/09/human-explorati.html. 2 Sept 2010
Johnson L, Farris B, Eberle B, Woodcock G, Negast B (2002) Integrated in-space transportation plan. NASA/CR-2002–212050, October 2002
“NASA Exploration Team (NEXT), Design Reference Missions Summary,” FOR INTERNAL NASA USE ONLY, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Draft, July 11, 2002
Balint TS Design reference mission set for RPS enabled missions in support of NASA’s SSE roadmap. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, IEEE Aerospace Conference (IEEEAC) Paper #1461, Version 2, updated December 5, 2006
Acknowledgments
The draft NASA technology area roadmaps were developed with the support and guidance from the Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT). In addition to the primary authors, major contributors for the TA02 roadmap included the OCT TA02 Roadmapping point of contact (POC), Jill Prince; the NASA Center Chief Technologist and NASA Mission Directorate reviewers; and the following individuals Ron Reeve, David Jones, Kay Glover, Nancy Mieczkowski.
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Palaszewski, B.A., Meyer, M.L., Johnson, L., Goebel, D.M., White, H., Coote, D.J. (2017). In-Space Chemical Propulsion System Roadmap. In: De Luca, L., Shimada, T., Sinditskii, V., Calabro, M. (eds) Chemical Rocket Propulsion. Springer Aerospace Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27748-6_26
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27748-6_26
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