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Steven R. Oleson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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compass final report nuclear Electric Propulsion nep chemical vehicle 1 2
2021Co-Authors: Steven R. Oleson, Laura M Burke, Lee S Mason, Elizabeth Turnbull, Steven L Mccarty, Anthony J Colozza, James E Fittje, John T Yim, M S Smith, Thomas W PackardAbstract:Many previous studies have examined sending crews to and from Mars. The most economical involved a ‘conjunction’ class whereby the crew spends around 500 days on Mars waiting for a ‘cheap’ return. The total mission time results in over a 1000-day mission duration (about 3 years). Given the current experience level of only one year on the International Space Station (ISS), it of interest to reduce that time to only two years, thus reducing risk and minimizing required Mars surface infrastructure. The Phase 1.1 Study goal was stated as follows, “Determine the feasibility of a two-year roundtrip class Mars mission concept of operation that enables boots on Mars no later than 2036.” While the Phase1 study did show feasibility for the NEP-Chemical option, the 2036 Opposition opportunity was found to stress the schedule due to proposed technology development schedules. A 2039 Opposition (which requires even more energy than the 2036 case) was chosen as representative for Phase 1.2. Phase 1.2 also sought to further refine the concept, building on the feasibility, but addressing several challenges brought by the red team and habitat team. Given the date of 2039, nearer term technologies, primarily nuclear thermal and nuclear Electric were deemed as the most viable for these missions. As will be shown, the energy required to perform such a mission in only two years (for the 2039 opportunity at least) is about three times that of the three-year conjunction mission. The rocket equation shows that this mission would then require several times the propellant of the three-year mission unless the specific impulse (ISP) of the Propulsion system can be increased. Based on lunar needs, a limit of five Space Launch System (SLS) launchers with 8.4m fairings was imposed for the piloted transportation portion of the mission, limiting the size of the system. When using nuclear Electric Propulsion, the main limiting factor was packaging the required radiator area. The higher Isp nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) system option is described herein but with a twist: in order to keep the size of radiators packageable in one SLS and use proven reactor power system technology (~1200K reactor outlet temperature and superalloy-class Brayton) the NEP system had to be combined with a chemical Propulsion system. This combination of Electric Propulsion and high thrust chemical was found to be useful in previous design studies combining solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) and chemical Propulsion. Such a combination allowed the low-thrust system to provide significant change in velocity (∆V) during the interplanetary portions of the mission, thereby notably reducing the ∆V required by the high thrust system to capture and depart from the Mars gravity well. Here the high thrust ‘impulsive’ system is more efficient due to the Oberth Effect. A plethora of trades, both at the mission and system level, as well as the subsystem level were performed to develop these vehicle concepts. An entire family of NEP-Chemical transportation vehicles is described herein. The main driver and the primary focus was the piloted vehicle but additional concepts for cargo were performed using the same ‘building blocks’ in order to reduce costs and provide commonality.
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recent advances in nuclear powered Electric Propulsion for space exploration
Energy Conversion and Management, 2008Co-Authors: Joseph R Cassady, Steven R. Oleson, Robert H Frisbee, James H Gilland, Michael Houts, Michael R Lapointe, Colleen M Maressereading, James E Polk, Derrek Russell, Anita SenguptaAbstract:Nuclear and radioisotope powered Electric thrusters are being developed as primary in space Propulsion systems for potential future robotic and piloted space missions. Possible applications for high-power nuclear Electric Propulsion include orbit raising and maneuvering of large space platforms, lunar and Mars cargo transport, asteroid rendezvous and sample return, and robotic and piloted planetary missions, while lower power radioisotope Electric Propulsion could significantly enhance or enable some future robotic deep space science missions. This paper provides an overview of recent US high-power Electric thruster research programs, describing the operating principles, challenges, and status of each technology. Mission analysis is presented that compares the benefits and performance of each thruster type for high priority NASA missions. The status of space nuclear power systems for high-power Electric Propulsion is presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of power and thruster development strategies for future radioisotope Electric Propulsion systems.
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the prometheus 1 spacecraft preliminary Electric Propulsion system design
41st AIAA ASME SAE ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, 2005Co-Authors: Thomas Randolph, Steven R. Oleson, Ryan Dougherty, Douglas I Fiehler, Neil DippreyAbstract:The proposed Prometheus 1 mission is an ambitious plan to orbit and explore the Jovian moons of Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa. Such an ambitious mission is enabled by the first interplanetary nuclear Electric Propulsion (EP) system.
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radioisotope Electric Propulsion for fast outer planetary orbiters
38th AIAA ASME SAE ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, 2002Co-Authors: Steven R. Oleson, Leon Gefert, Scott W Benson, Michael Patterson, Jeffrey SchreiberAbstract:Recent interest in outer planetary targets by the Office of Space Science has spurred the search for technology options to enable relatively quick missions to outer planetary targets. Several options are being explored including solar Electric propelled stages combined with aerocapture at the target and nuclear Electric Propulsion. Another option uses radioisotope powered Electric thrusters to reach the outer planets. Past work looked at using this technology to provide faster flybys. A better use for this technology is for outer planet orbiters. Combined with medium class launch vehicles and a new direct trajectory these small, sub-kilowatt ion thrusters and Stirling radioisotope generators were found to allow missions as fast as 5 to 12 years for objects from Saturn to Pluto, respectively. Key to the development is light spacecraft and science payload technologies.
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Advanced Electric Propulsion for Space Solar Power Satellites
Performer: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH. NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field. Aug, 1999Co-Authors: Steven R. OlesonAbstract:The sun tower concept of collecting solar energy in space and beaming it down for commercial use will require very affordable in-space as well as earth-to-orbit transportation. Advanced Electric Propulsion using a 200 kW power and Propulsion system added to the sun tower nodes can provide a factor of two reduction in the required number of launch vehicles when compared to in-space cryogenic chemical systems. In addition, the total time required to launch and deliver the complete sun tower system is of the same order of magnitude using high power Electric Propulsion or cryogenic chemical Propulsion: around one year. Advanced Electric Propulsion can also be used to minimize the stationkeeping Propulsion system mass for this unique space platform. 50 to 100 kW class Hall, ion, magnetoplasmadynamic, and pulsed inductive thrusters are compared. High power Hall thruster technology provides the best mix of launches saved and shortest ground to Geosynchronous Earth Orbital Environment (GEO) delivery time of all the systems, including chemical. More detailed studies comparing launch vehicle costs, transfer operations costs, and Propulsion system costs and complexities must be made to down-select a technology. The concept of adding Electric Propulsion to the sun tower nodes was compared to a concept using re-useable Electric Propulsion tugs for Low Earth Orbital Environment (LEO) to GEO transfer. While the tug concept would reduce the total number of required Propulsion systems, more launchers and notably longer LEO to GEO and complete sun tower ground to GEO times would be required. The tugs would also need more complex, longer life Propulsion systems and the ability to dock with sun tower nodes.
Anita Sengupta - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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recent advances in nuclear powered Electric Propulsion for space exploration
Energy Conversion and Management, 2008Co-Authors: Joseph R Cassady, Steven R. Oleson, Robert H Frisbee, James H Gilland, Michael Houts, Michael R Lapointe, Colleen M Maressereading, James E Polk, Derrek Russell, Anita SenguptaAbstract:Nuclear and radioisotope powered Electric thrusters are being developed as primary in space Propulsion systems for potential future robotic and piloted space missions. Possible applications for high-power nuclear Electric Propulsion include orbit raising and maneuvering of large space platforms, lunar and Mars cargo transport, asteroid rendezvous and sample return, and robotic and piloted planetary missions, while lower power radioisotope Electric Propulsion could significantly enhance or enable some future robotic deep space science missions. This paper provides an overview of recent US high-power Electric thruster research programs, describing the operating principles, challenges, and status of each technology. Mission analysis is presented that compares the benefits and performance of each thruster type for high priority NASA missions. The status of space nuclear power systems for high-power Electric Propulsion is presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of power and thruster development strategies for future radioisotope Electric Propulsion systems.
Joseph R Cassady - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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recent advances in nuclear powered Electric Propulsion for space exploration
Energy Conversion and Management, 2008Co-Authors: Joseph R Cassady, Steven R. Oleson, Robert H Frisbee, James H Gilland, Michael Houts, Michael R Lapointe, Colleen M Maressereading, James E Polk, Derrek Russell, Anita SenguptaAbstract:Nuclear and radioisotope powered Electric thrusters are being developed as primary in space Propulsion systems for potential future robotic and piloted space missions. Possible applications for high-power nuclear Electric Propulsion include orbit raising and maneuvering of large space platforms, lunar and Mars cargo transport, asteroid rendezvous and sample return, and robotic and piloted planetary missions, while lower power radioisotope Electric Propulsion could significantly enhance or enable some future robotic deep space science missions. This paper provides an overview of recent US high-power Electric thruster research programs, describing the operating principles, challenges, and status of each technology. Mission analysis is presented that compares the benefits and performance of each thruster type for high priority NASA missions. The status of space nuclear power systems for high-power Electric Propulsion is presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of power and thruster development strategies for future radioisotope Electric Propulsion systems.
James H Gilland - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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recent advances in nuclear powered Electric Propulsion for space exploration
Energy Conversion and Management, 2008Co-Authors: Joseph R Cassady, Steven R. Oleson, Robert H Frisbee, James H Gilland, Michael Houts, Michael R Lapointe, Colleen M Maressereading, James E Polk, Derrek Russell, Anita SenguptaAbstract:Nuclear and radioisotope powered Electric thrusters are being developed as primary in space Propulsion systems for potential future robotic and piloted space missions. Possible applications for high-power nuclear Electric Propulsion include orbit raising and maneuvering of large space platforms, lunar and Mars cargo transport, asteroid rendezvous and sample return, and robotic and piloted planetary missions, while lower power radioisotope Electric Propulsion could significantly enhance or enable some future robotic deep space science missions. This paper provides an overview of recent US high-power Electric thruster research programs, describing the operating principles, challenges, and status of each technology. Mission analysis is presented that compares the benefits and performance of each thruster type for high priority NASA missions. The status of space nuclear power systems for high-power Electric Propulsion is presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of power and thruster development strategies for future radioisotope Electric Propulsion systems.
Michael Houts - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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recent advances in nuclear powered Electric Propulsion for space exploration
Energy Conversion and Management, 2008Co-Authors: Joseph R Cassady, Steven R. Oleson, Robert H Frisbee, James H Gilland, Michael Houts, Michael R Lapointe, Colleen M Maressereading, James E Polk, Derrek Russell, Anita SenguptaAbstract:Nuclear and radioisotope powered Electric thrusters are being developed as primary in space Propulsion systems for potential future robotic and piloted space missions. Possible applications for high-power nuclear Electric Propulsion include orbit raising and maneuvering of large space platforms, lunar and Mars cargo transport, asteroid rendezvous and sample return, and robotic and piloted planetary missions, while lower power radioisotope Electric Propulsion could significantly enhance or enable some future robotic deep space science missions. This paper provides an overview of recent US high-power Electric thruster research programs, describing the operating principles, challenges, and status of each technology. Mission analysis is presented that compares the benefits and performance of each thruster type for high priority NASA missions. The status of space nuclear power systems for high-power Electric Propulsion is presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of power and thruster development strategies for future radioisotope Electric Propulsion systems.