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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 217 records · Page 12

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NASA NTRS2005

A Direct Method for Fuel Optimal Maneuvers of Distributed Spacecraft in Multiple Flight Regimes

We present a method to solve the impulsive minimum fuel maneuver problem for a distributed set of spacecraft. We develop the method assuming a non-linear dynamics model and parameterize the problem to allow the method to be applicable to multiple flight regimes including low-Earth orbits, highly-elliptic orbits (HEO), Lagrange point orbits, and interplanetary trajectories. Furthermore, the approach is not limited by the inter-spacecraft separation distances and is applicable to both small formations as well as large constellations. Semianalytical derivatives are derived for the changes in the total AV with respect to changes in the independent variables. We also apply a set of constraints to ensure that the fuel expenditure is equalized over the spacecraft in formation. We conclude with several examples and present optimal maneuver sequences for both a HE0 and libration point formation.

Hughes, Steven P.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Radiation analysis for manned missions to the Jupiter system

An analysis for manned missions targeted to the Jovian system has been performed in the framework of the NASA RASC (Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts) program on Human Exploration beyond Mars. The missions were targeted to the Jupiter satellite Callisto. The mission analysis has been divided into three main phases, namely the interplanetary cruise, the Jupiter orbital insertion, and the surface landing and exploration phases. The interplanetary phase is based on departure from the Earth-Moon L1 point. Interplanetary trajectories based on the use of different propulsion systems have been considered, with resulting overall cruise phase duration varying between two and five years. The Jupiter-approach and the orbital insertion trajectories are considered in detail, with the spacecraft crossing the Jupiter radiation belts and staying around the landing target. In the surface exploration phase the stay on the Callisto surface is considered. The satellite surface composition has been modeled based on the most recent results from the GALILEO spacecraft. In the transport computations the surface backscattering has been duly taken into account. Particle transport has been performed with the HZETRN heavy ion code for hadrons and with an in-house developed transport code for electrons and bremsstrahlung photons. The obtained doses have been compared to dose exposure limits. c2004 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NASA Center LaRC↗

NASA NTRS2002

The status of the Cassini Mission

The Cassini spacecraft was launched in October, 1997. Since that time it has been on an interplanetary trajectory toward Saturn . It arrives at Saturn and goes into orbit about the planet on July 1, 2004. En route, Cassini has flown by Venus, Earth, and Jupiter.

Cassini Huygens↗

NASA NTRS2006

Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter interplanetary injection period analysis

This paper investigates the sensitivity of the planned Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter mission to variations in interplanetary injection date, magnitude, and direction, starting in a low-Earth assembly orbit. These results are used to determine the frequency and number of injection opportunities from a processing assembly obit. It is shown that the use of a low-thrust propulsion system with a nuclear-electric power source would allow the interplanetary trajectory performance to be relatively insensitive to variations in injection conditions. This result yields many injection opportunities due to the long injection period and consecutive orbits with favorable geometry.

trajectory↗

NASA NTRS2006

Rapid Development of Gossamer Propulsion for NASA Inner Solar System Science Missions

Over a two and one-half year period dating from 2003 through 2005, NASA s In-Space Propulsion Program matured solar sail technology from laboratory components to full systems, demonstrated in as relevant a space environment as could feasibly be simulated on the ground. This paper describes the challenges identified; as well as the approaches taken toward solving a broad set of issues spanning material science, manufacturing technology, and interplanetary trajectory optimization. Revolutionary advances in system structural predictive analysis and characterization testing occurred. Also addressed are the remaining technology challenges that might be resolved with further ground technology research, geared toward reducing technical risks associated with future space validation and science missions.

Young, Roy M.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Phoenix - the First Mars Scout Mission

As the first of the new Mars Scouts missions, the Phoenix project was selected by NASA in August of 2003. Four years later, almost to the day, Phoenix was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Station and successfully injected into an interplanetary trajectory on its way to Mars. This paper will highlight some of the key changes since the 2006 IEEE paper of the same name, as well as activities, challenges and problems encountered on the way to the launch pad. Phoenix Follows the water responding directly to the recently published data from Dr. William Boynton, PI (and Phoenix co-I) of the Mars Odyssey Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS). GRS data indicate extremely large quantities of water ice (up to 50% by mass) within the upper 50 cm of the northern polar regolith. Phoenix will land within the north polar region at 68.2 N, 233.4 W identified by GRS to harbor near surface water ice and provide in-situ confirmation of this extraordinary find. Our mission will investigate water in all its phases, and will investigate the history of water as evidenced in the soil characteristics that will be carefully examined by the powerful suite of onboard instrumentation. Access to the critical subsurface region expected to contain this information is made possible by a third generation robotic arm capable of excavating the expected Martian regolith to a depth of 1m. Phoenix has four primary science objectives: 1) Determine the polar climate and weather, interaction with the surface, and composition of the lower atmosphere around 70 N for at least 90 sols focusing on water, ice, dust, noble gases, and CO2. Determine the atmospheric characteristics during descent through the atmosphere. 2) Characterize the geomorphology and active processes shaping the northern plains and the physical properties of the near surface regolith focusing on the role of water. 3) Determine the aqueous mineralogy and chemistry as well as the adsorbed gases and organic content of the regolith. Verify the Odyssey discovery of near-surface ice. 4) Characterize the history of water, ice, and the polar 1 1-4244-1488-1/08/$25.00 2008 IEEE 2 IEEEAC paper#1579, Version 1, Updated 2008:01:09 climate. Determine the past and present biological potential of the surface and subsurface environments.

Mars exploration↗

NASA NTRS2002

A Plasma Rocket Demonstration on the International Space Station

The Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory at the NASA Johnson Space Center has been engaged in the development of a magneto-plasma rocket for several years. This type of rocket could be used in the future to propel interplanetary spacecraft. One feature of this concept is the ability to vary its specific impulse so that it can be operated in a mode that maximizes propellant efficiency or a mode that maximizes thrust. For this reason the system is called the Variable Specific Impulse Magneto-plasma Rocket or VASIMR. This ability to vary specific impulse and thrust will allow for optimum low thrust interplanetary trajectories and results in shorter trip times than is possible with fixed specific impulse systems while preserving adequate payload margins. In the development of the VASIMR technology, a series of ground-based experiments and space demonstrations are envisioned. A ground-based experiment of a low-power VASIMR prototype rocket is currently underway at the Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory. The next step is a proposal to build and fly a 25-kilowatt VASIMR rocket as an external payload on the International Space Station. This experiment will provide an opportunity to demonstrate the performance of the rocket in space and measure the induced environment. The experiment will also utilize the space station for its intended purpose as a laboratory with vacuum conditions that cannot be matched by any laboratory on Earth. The VASIMR experiment will also blaze the trail for the wider application of advanced electric propulsion on the space station. An electric propulsion system like VASIMR, if provided with sufficient electrical power, could provide continuous drag force compensation for the space station. Drag compensation would eliminate the need for reboosting the station, an operation that will consume about 60 metric tons of propellant in a ten-year period. In contrast, an electric propulsion system would require very little propellant. In fact, a system like VASIMR can use waste hydrogen from the station's life support system as its propellant. This waste hydrogen is otherwise dumped overboard. Continuous drag compensation would also improve the microgravity conditions on the station. So electric propulsion can reduce propellant delivery requirements and thereby increase available payload capacity and at the same time improve the conditions for scientific research.

Petro, Andrew J.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Mars Science Laboratory Propulsive Maneuver Design and Execution

The NASA Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, Curiosity, was launched on November 26, 2011 and successfully landed at the Gale Crater on Mars. For the 8-month interplanetary trajectory from Earth to Mars, five nominal and two contingency trajectory correction maneuvers (TCM) were planned. The goal of these TCMs was to accurately deliver the spacecraft to the desired atmospheric entry aimpoint in Martian atmosphere so as to ensure a high probability of successful landing on the Mars surface. The primary mission requirements on maneuver performance were the total mission propellant usage and the entry flight path angle (EFPA) delivery accuracy. They were comfortably met in this mission. In this paper we will describe the spacecraft propulsion system, TCM constraints and requirements, TCM design processes, and their implementation and verification.

maneuver↗

NASA NTRS2013

Guidance, Navigation, and Control Technology Assessment for Future Planetary Science Missions

Future planetary explorations envisioned by the National Research Council's (NRC's) report titled Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022, developed for NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Planetary Science Division (PSD), seek to reach targets of broad scientific interest across the solar system. This goal requires new capabilities such as innovative interplanetary trajectories, precision landing, operation in close proximity to targets, precision pointing, multiple collaborating spacecraft, multiple target tours, and advanced robotic surface exploration. Advancements in Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) and Mission Design in the areas of software, algorithm development and sensors will be necessary to accomplish these future missions. This paper summarizes the key GN&C and mission design capabilities and technologies needed for future missions pursuing SMD PSD's scientific goals.

position↗

NASA NTRS2008

Phoenix - The First Mars Scout Mission

Lander↗

NASA NTRS2008

Launch Period Development for the Juno Mission to Jupiter

The Juno mission to Jupiter is targeted to launch in 2011 and would reach the giant planet about five years later. The interplanetary trajectory is planned to include two large deep space maneuvers and an Earth gravity assist a little more than two years after launch. In this paper, we describe the development of a 21-day launch period for Juno with the objective of keeping overall launch energy and delta-V low while meeting constraints imposed on Earth departure, the deep space maneuvers' timing and geometry, and Jupiter arrival.

mission design↗

NASA NTRS2016

NASA's Space Launch System: A New Opportunity for CubeSats

Designed for human exploration missions into deep space, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) represents a new spaceflight infrastructure asset, enabling a wide variety of unique utilization opportunities. Together with the Orion crew vehicle and ground operations at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, SLS is a foundational capability for NASA's Journey to Mars. From the beginning of the SLS flight program, utilization of the vehicle will also include launching secondary payloads, including CubeSats, to deep-space destinations. Currently, SLS is making rapid progress toward readiness for its first launch in 2018, using the initial configuration of the vehicle, which is capable of delivering 70 metric tons (t) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). On its first flight, Exploration Mission-1, SLS will launch an uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft into distant retrograde orbit around the moon. Accompanying Orion on SLS will be 13 CubeSats, which will deploy in cislunar space. These CubeSats will include not only NASA research, but also spacecraft from industry and international partners and potentially academia. Following its first flight and potentially as early as its second, which will launch a crewed Orion spacecraft into cislunar space, SLS will evolve into a more powerful configuration with a larger upper stage. This configuration will initially be able to deliver 105 t to LEO and will continue to be upgraded to a performance of greater than 130 t to LEO. While the addition of the more powerful upper stage will mean a change to the secondary payload accommodations from Block 1, the SLS Program is already evaluating options for future secondary payload opportunities. Early discussions are also already underway for the use of SLS to launch spacecraft on interplanetary trajectories, which could open additional opportunities for CubeSats. This presentation will include an overview of the SLS vehicle and its capabilities, including the current status of progress toward first launch. It will also explain the opportunities the vehicle offers for CubeSats and secondary payloads, including an overview of the CubeSat manifest for Exploration Mission-1 in 2018.

Hitt, David↗

NASA NTRS2015

Interplanetary CubeSat Navigational Challenges

CubeSats are miniaturized spacecraft of small mass that comply with a form specification so they can be launched using standardized deployers. Since the launch of the first CubeSat into Earth orbit in June of 2003, hundreds have been placed into orbit. There are currently a number of proposals to launch and operate CubeSats in deep space, including MarCO, a technology demonstration that will launch two CubeSats towards Mars using the same launch vehicle as NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) Mars lander mission. The MarCO CubeSats are designed to relay the information transmitted by the InSight UHF radio during Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) in real time to the antennas of the Deep Space Network (DSN) on Earth. Other CubeSatts proposals intend to demonstrate the operation of small probes in deep space, investigate the lunar South Pole, and visit a near Earth object, among others. Placing a CubeSat into an interplanetary trajectory makes it even more challenging to pack the necessary power, communications, and navigation capabilities into such a small spacecraft. This paper presents some of the challenges and approaches for successfully navigating CubeSats and other small spacecraft in deep space.

MarCo↗

NASA NTRS2017

NASA's Space Launch System: Deep-Space Delivery for SmallSats

Designed for human exploration missions into deep space, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) represents a new spaceflight infrastructure asset, enabling a wide variety of unique utilization opportunities. While primarily focused on launching the large systems needed for crewed spaceflight beyond Earth orbit, SLS also offers a game-changing capability for the deployment of small satellites to deep-space destinations, beginning with its first flight. Currently, SLS is making rapid progress toward readiness for its first launch in two years, using the initial configuration of the vehicle, which is capable of delivering more than 70 metric tons (t) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). On its first flight, an uncrewed test of the Orion spacecraft into distant retrograde orbit around the moon, accompanying Orion on SLS will be 13 small-satellite secondary payloads, which will deploy in cislunar space. These secondary payloads will include not only NASA research, but also spacecraft from industry and international partners and academia. The payloads also represent a variety of disciplines including, but not limited to, studies of the moon, Earth, sun, and asteroids. The Space Launch System Program is working actively with the developers of the payloads toward vehicle integration. Following its first flight and potentially as early as its second, SLS will evolve into a more powerful configuration with a larger upper stage. This configuration will initially be able to deliver 105 t to LEO, and will continue to be upgraded to a performance of greater than 130 t to LEO. While the addition of the more powerful upper stage will mean a change to the secondary payload accommodations from those on the first launch, the SLS Program is already evaluating options for future secondary payload opportunities. Early discussions are also already underway for the use of SLS to launch spacecraft on interplanetary trajectories, which could open additional opportunities for small satellites. This presentation will include an overview of the SLS vehicle and its capabilities, including the current status of progress toward first launch. It will also explain the opportunities the vehicle offers for small satellites, including an overview of the CubeSat manifest for Exploration Mission-1 in 2018 and a discussion of future capabilities.

Robinson, Kimberly F.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Sensitivity Analysis of Hybrid Propulsion Transportation System for Human Mars Expeditions

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration continues to develop and refine various transportation options to successfully field a human Mars campaign. One of these transportation options is the Hybrid Transportation System which utilizes both solar electric propulsion and chemical propulsion. The Hybrid propulsion system utilizes chemical propulsion to perform high thrust maneuvers, where the delta-V is most optimal when ap- plied to save time and to leverage the Oberth effect. It then utilizes solar electric propulsion to augment the chemical burns throughout the interplanetary trajectory. This eliminates the need for the development of two separate vehicles for crew and cargo missions. Previous studies considered single point designs of the architecture, with fixed payload mass and propulsion system performance parameters. As the architecture matures, it is inevitable that the payload mass and the performance of the propulsion system will change. It is desirable to understand how these changes will impact the in-space transportation system's mass and power requirements. This study presents an in-depth sensitivity analysis of the Hybrid crew transportation system to payload mass growth and solar electric propulsion performance. This analysis is used to identify the breakpoints of the current architecture and to inform future architecture and campaign design decisions.

Chai, Patrick R.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Exergy Efficiency of Interplanetary Transfer Vehicles

In order to optimize systems, systems engineers require some sort of measure with which to compare vastly different system components. One such measure is system exergy, or the usable system work. Exergy balance analysis models provide a comparison of different system configurations, allowing systems engineers to compare different systems configuration options. This paper presents the exergy efficiency of several Mars transportation system configurations, using data on the interplanetary trajectory, engine performance, and vehicle mass. The importance of the starting and final parking orbits is addressed in the analysis, as well as intermediate hyperbolic escape and entry orbits within Earth and Mars' spheres of influence (SOIs). Propulsion systems analyzed include low-enriched uranium (LEU) nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), high-enriched uranium (HEU) NTP, LEU methane (CH4) NTP, and liquid oxygen (LOX)/liquid hydrogen (LH2) chemical propulsion.

Owen, Sean T.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Aerothermal Design of a Common Probe for Multiple Planetary Destinations

The idea of a single design of a capsule, for atmospheric entry at Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune and delivery of payloads for in situ scientific experiments, is currently being pursued by a team of scientists and engineers drawn from four NASA centers - Ames, Langley, JPL, and Goddard. For notional suites of instruments (the selection depending on the destination), interplanetary trajectories have been developed by team members at JPL and Goddard. Using the entry states provided by these trajectories, 3DOF atmospheric flight trajectories have been developed by Langley [4] and Ames. The range of entry flight path angles for each destination is chosen such that the deceleration load lies between 50 g (shallow) and 150-200 g (steep) for a 1.5 m (diameter) rigid aeroshell based on a 45deg sphere-cone geometry and an entry mass of 400 kg.

Allen Jr., G. A.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Exergy Efficiency of Interplanetary Transfer Vehicles

Owen, Sean T.↗