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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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

In Situ Propellant Production for improved sample return mission performance

In Situ Propellant Production (ISPP) on the surface of a target body is evaluated as a potential way to relax sample return mass constraints and to improve mission performance. Utilization of an oxygen/methane bipropellant combination for primary outbound and return propulsion has a significant favorable impact upon Earth escape requirements. A small sample can be returned from Mars using a single Shuttle/IUS(Twin) launch. Performance and design data are presented for the Mars mission. For sample returns from selected Galilean satellites, launch requirements are reduced by fifteen to forty percent. An assessment is made of overall utility of ISPP to planetary missions.

Stancati, M. L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Chemical production on Mars using in situ propellant production technology

In situ propellant production (ISPP) was examined in terms of its applicability to a manned Mars mission. Production of oxygen from Martian atmosphere was used as the baseline system for ISPP technology assessment. It was concluded that production of oxygen was an important element in a manned Mars mission which could be developed in terrestrial laboratories. Expert system methodology will be required to enable reliable, autonomous production of oxygen. Furthermore, while no major technical breakthroughs are required, this research requires a long lead time to permit its systematic evolution.

Robert L Ash↗
NASA NTRS1995

Mars Sample Return mission utilizing in-situ propellant production

This report presents the results of a study examining the potential of in-situ propellant production (ISPP) on Mars to aid in achieving a low cost Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. Two versions of such a mission were examined: a baseline version employing a dual string spacecraft, and a light weight version employing single string architecture with selective redundancy. Both systems employed light weight avionics currently being developed by Lockheed Martin, Jet Propulsion Lab and elsewhere in the aerospace community, both used a new concept for a simple, light weight parachuteless sample return capsule, both used a slightly modified version of the Mars Surveyor lander currently under development at Lockheed Martin for flight in 1998, and both used a combination of the Sabatier-electrolysis and reverse water gas shift ISPP systems to produce methane/oxygen propellant on Mars by combining a small quantity of imported hydrogen with the Martian CO2 atmosphere. It was found that the baseline mission could be launched on a Delta 7925 and return a 0.5 kg sample with 82 percent mission launch margin;over and beyond subsystem allocated contingency masses . The lightweight version could be launched on a Mid-Lite vehicle and return a 0.25 kg sample with 11 percent launch margin, over and above subsystem contingency mass allocations.

Zubrin, Robert↗
NASA NTRS1997

Hydrogen Transport to Mars Enables the Sabatier/Electrolysis Process

The Sabatier/Electrolysis (S/E) process is an attractive approach to in situ propellant production (ISPP), and a breadboard demonstration of this process at Lockheed Martin Astronautics funded by JPL performed very well, with high conversion efficiency, and reliable diurnal operation. There is a net usage of hydrogen in the S/E process, and this has been the principal problem for this approach to ISPP.

Mueller, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Trade Study of Five In-Situ Propellant Production Systems for a Mars Sample Return Mission

One of the goals of NASA's HEDS enterprise is to establish a long-term human presence on Mars at a fraction of the cost of employing today's technology. The most direct method of reducing mission cost is to reduce the launch mass of the spacecraft. If the propellants for the return phase of the mission are produced on Mars, the total spacecraft mass could be reduced significantly. An interim goal is a Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, which is proposed to demonstrate the feasibility of in-situ propellant production (ISPP). Five candidate ISPP systems for producing two fuels and oxygen from the Martian atmosphere are considered in this design trade-off study: 1) Zirconia cell with methanol synthesis, 2) Reverse water gas shift with water electrolysis and methanol synthesis, 3) Sabatier process for methane product ion with water electrolysis, 4) Sabatier process with water electrolysis and partial methane pyrolysis, and 5) Sabatier/RWGS combination with water electrolysis.

Green, S. T.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Development Unit Configuration and Current Status of the MIP/MAAC Experiment

The Mars In-Situ Propellant Production (ISPP) Precursor (MIP) experiment package is planned for inclusion on the Mars 2001 Lander. This experiment package consists of five experiments whose purpose is to demonstrate the performance of various ISPP processes in-situ on Mars. The demonstrated ability to produce propellant for Mars Return Vehicles (MRV) is considered to be a necessary precursor to any future manned mission to Mars. The Mars Atmosphere Acquisition and Compression (MAAC) experiment is part of the MIP package and is intended to demonstrate that, by using a sorption compressor, CO2 can be preferentially adsorbed at about 6 torr from the Mars atmosphere during the night when the bed is cold then subsequently compressed to about 800 torr by heating the bed and desorbing CO2 during the day. The compressed CO2 produced by MAAC is to be fed to the Oxygen Generator Subsystem (OGS) where pure oxygen is to be produced. Pure oxygen is considered to be one of the primary constituents of a future manned MRV propellant system. A MAAC Development Unit (DU) has been fabricated and tested at JPL. The MAAC DU consists of 1) a sorption bed filled with a CO2 selective sorbent material, 2) a purge system to be used to periodically backflush non-CO2 gases from the sorbent bed during adsorption, 3) a JPL-developed gas-gap heat switch that allows heat transfer to a radiator for heat removal from the bed during the night time adsorption period and that impedes heat transfer during the day time desorption period, 4) a radiator to radiate heat to the night sky during the adsorption period, 5) a set of three isolation valves and connecting tubing. 6) two pressure transducers and several thermocouples for monitoring the MAAC operating conditions, and command and data handling electronics. This paper will describe the operational theory and the configuration of the MAAC DU and will discuss the current status of the MAAC experiment development including some selected results of performance testing that has been completed prior to the ISRU III meeting.

Karlmann, P. B.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Trade Study of Five In-Situ Propellant Production System for a Mars Sample Return Mission

One of the goals of NASA''s HEDS enterprise is to establish a long-term human presence on Mars at a fraction of the cost of employing today''s technology. The most direct method of reducing mission cost is to reduce the launch mass of the spacecraft. If the propellants for the return phase of the mission are produced on Mars, the total spacecraft mass could be reduced significantly. An interim goal is a Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, which is proposed to demonstrate the feasibility of in-situ propellant production (ISPP). Five candidate ISPP systems for producing two fuels and oxygen from the Martian atmosphere are considered in this design trade-off study:(1) Zirconia cell with methanol synthesis, (2) Reverse water gas shift (RWGS) with water electrolysis and methanol synthesis, (3) Sabatier process for methane production with water electrolysis, (4) Sabatier process with water electrolysis and partial methane pyrolysis, and (5) Sabatier/RWGS combination with water electrolysis. These systems have been the subject of numerous previous analytical studies and laboratory demonstrations. In this investigation, the systems are objectively compared on the basis of thermochemical performance models using a commonly used chemical plant analysis software package. The realistic effects of incomplete chemical conversion and gas phase separator performance are included in these models. This study focuses on the chemical processing and product separation subsystems. The CO2 compression upstream of the chemical plane and the liquefaction/storage components are not included here.

Green, S. T.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Development Unit Configuration Status of the MIP/MAAC Experiment

The Mars In-Situ Propellant Production (ISPP) Precursor (MIP) experiment package is planned for inclusion on the Mars 2001 Lander. This experiment package consists of five experiments whose purpose is to demonstrate the performance of various ISPP processes in-situ on Mars. The demonstrated ability to produce propellant for Mars Return Vehicles (MRV) is considered to be a necessary precursor to any future manned mission to Mars. The Mars Atmosphere Acquisition and Compression (MAAC) experiment is part of the MIP package and is intended to demonstrate that, by using a sorption compressor, CO2 can be preferentially adsorbed at about 6 torr from the Mars atmosphere during the night when the bed is cold then subsequently compressed to about 800 torr by heating the bed and desorbing C02 during the day. The compressed CO2 produced by MAAC is to be fed to the Oxygen Generator Subsystem (OGS) where pure oxygen is to be produced. Pure oxygen is considered to be one of the primary constituents of a future manned MRV propellant system. A MAAC Development Unit (DU) has been fabricated and tested at JPL. The MAAC DU consists of: (1) a sorption bed filled with a CO2 selective sorbent material; (2) a purge system to be used to periodically backflush non-CO2 gases from the sorbent bed during adsorption; (3) a JPL-developed gas-gap heat switch that allows heat transfer to a radiator for heat removal from the bed during the night time adsorption period and that impedes heat transfer during the day time desorption period; (4) a radiator to radiate heat to the night sky during the adsorption period; (5) a set of three isolation valves and connecting tubing; (6) two pressure transducers and several thermocouples for monitoring the MAAC operating conditions, and command and data handling electronics. This paper will describe the operational theory and the configuration of the MAAC DU and will discuss the current status of the MAAC experiment development including some selected results of performance testing that has been completed prior to the ISRU III meeting.

Karlmann, P. B.↗
NASA NTRS2003

CO2 Acquisition Membrane (CAM) Project

The CO2 Acquisition Membrane (CAM) project was performed to develop, test, and analyze thin film membrane materials for separation and purification of carbon dioxide (CO2) from mixtures of gases, such as those found in the Martian atmosphere. The membranes developed in this project are targeted toward In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) applications, such as In Situ Propellant Production (ISPP) and In Situ Consumables Production (ISCP). These membrane materials may be used in a variety of ISRU systems, for example as the atmospheric inlet filter for an ISPP process to enhance the concentration of CO2 for use as a reactant gas, to passively separate argon and nitrogen trace gases from CO2 for habitat pressurization, to provide a system for removal of CO2 from breathing gases in a closed environment, or within a process stream to selectively separate CO2 from other gaseous components. The membranes identified and developed for CAM were evaluated for use in candidate ISRU processes and other gas separation applications, and will help to lay the foundation for future unmanned sample return and human space missions. CAM is a cooperative project split among three institutions: Lockheed Martin Astronautics (LMA), the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Mason, Larry W.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Evaluation of radioisotope electric propulsion for selected interplanetary science missions

This study assessed the benefits and applicability of REP to missions relevant to the In-Space Propulsion Program (ISPP) using first and second generation RPS with specific powers of 4 We/kg and 8 We/kg, respectively. Three missions representing small body targets, medium outer planet class, and main belt asteroids and comets were evaluated. Those missions were a Trojan Asteroid Orbiter, Comet Surface Sample Return (CSSR), and Jupiter Polar Orbiter with Probes (JPOP). For each mission, REP cost and performance was compared with solar electric propulsion system (SEPS) and SOA chemical propulsion system (SCPS) cost and performance. The outcome of the analysis would be a determinant for potential inclusion in the ISPP investment portfolio.

trojan asteroid↗
NASA NTRS2016

Hybrid Propulsion In-Situ Resource Utilization Test Facility Results for Performance Characterization

Hybrid propulsion presents a promising alternative to conventional systems for in-space propulsion applications using In-Situ Propellant Production (ISPP). A hybrid propulsion test facility has been built at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) with the capability to evaluate ISPP oxidizers (gaseous mixtures of O2 and CO2) and modify fuel type and chamber geometry. This work is the result of a continuing effort at JPL to characterize the burn characteristics and performance of different propellant combinations and motor configurations in order to refine and support preliminary designs. Twelve tests using gaseous oxygen and two paraffin based fuels (Black Paraffin and SP1X) from the 2015 campaign are presented. Different reduction techniques are compared in an effort to determine the uncertainty associated with deriving a regression rate law and evaluating c* efficiency with the collected data.

Mechentel, F. S.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

MIP: the First ISRU Flight Experiment

The Mars ISPP Precursor, “MIP”, was a flight experiment on the 2001 Mars Surveyor Lander that was designed to demonstrate In-situ Propellant Production-- ISPP-- for the first time on Mars. The experiment was designed to show that it was possible to produce oxygen from the carbon dioxide atmosphere, and to demonstrate the individual technology components that would go into a full-scale production plant. The aimpoint of the oxygen production was to showcase the possibility of producing oxygen for use as rocket fuel, ultimately as an enabling technology for a future human expedition to Mars. The MIP team built and qualified flight hardware for the experiment to fly on the Surveyor-2001 lander, but following the failure of the 1999 Mars Polar Lander spacecraft, the Surveyor-2001 lander mission was cancelled, and the MIP experiment was never flown. The experience in building and testing the hardware did show that the carbon dioxide electrolysis process was feasible, and led to incorporation of in-situ propellant production into the NASA reference plans for human Mars missions. Twenty years later, the technology is flying to Mars in the form of the MOXIE experiment on the Perseverance rover.

Geoffrey A Landis↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

MIP: the First ISRU Flight Experiment

In 2020, the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) will fly to Mars as part of the Mars-2020 “Perseverance” rover’s experiment package, and for the first time will demonstrate the use of in-situ resources of another planet, by using the carbon dioxide atmosphere of Mars as a feedstock to produce oxygen. MOXIE, however, was not the first flight experiment proposed to test in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). The Mars ISPP Precursor, “MIP”, was a flight experiment on the 2001 Mars Surveyor Lander that was designed to demonstrate In-situ Propellant Production--ISPP--for the first time on Mars. The experiment was designed to show that it was possible to produce oxygen from the carbon dioxide atmosphere, and to demonstrate the individual technology components that would go into a full-scale production plant. The aim point of the oxygen production was to showcase the possibility of producing oxygen for use as rocket fuel, ultimately as an enabling technology for a future human expedition to Mars.

Geoffrey A Landis↗
NASA NTRS1987

Some aspects of space propulsion with extraterrestrial resources

Extraterrestrial resources for space processing of chemicals, in general, and propellants, in particular, are explored quantitatively. It is seen that, for several candidate space mission scenarios, space processing of both space resources and earth-carried resources can make decisive differences in the mission success for a given payload. To fix ideas and demonstrate trends, the specific case of water splitting to extract oxygen, discard (or use without storage) the resulting hydrogen, and burn earth-carried noncryogenic liquid fuel(s) in a simple rocket motor, designed for periodic thrusting, is treated in some detail. Experimental hardware is assembled and demonstrated to perform adequately, besides showing compactness of the space-packaged 'capsule' module that is self-contained. Building upon previous studies, the concept of in situ propellant production (ISPP) is reexamined in light of more recent energy and materials technologies. Missions to comets and Mars Sample Return are mentioned as candidate scenarios. The mission duration, reliability-repairability of hardware, resource availability in low earth orbit (LEO), and the thrust requirements are considered in turn. It is seen that space storage of hydrogen for extended durations (5-10 years) involves problems that require detailed studies, besides involving many presently unanswered issues. A study of the energy option in LEO and in deep space is developed in simple terms. The different solar, radioisotope, and nuclear power sources are mentioned. Storage and handling of raw and processed chemicals are considered.

Ramohalli, Kumar↗
NASA NTRS1992

Engine system assessment study using Martian propellants

A top-level feasibility study was conducted that identified and characterized promising chemical propulsion system designs which use two or more of the following propellant combinations: LOX/H2, LOX/CH4, and LOX/CO. The engine systems examined emphasized the usage of common subsystem/component hardware where possible. In support of this study, numerous mission scenarios were characterized that used various combinations of Earth, lunar, and Mars propellants to establish engine system requirements to assess the promising engine system design concept examined, and to determine overall exploration leverage of such systems compared to state-of-the-art cryogenic (LOX/H2) propulsion systems. Initially in the study, critical propulsion system technologies were assessed. Candidate expander and gas generator cycle LOX/H2/CO, LOX/H2/CH4, and LOX/CO/CH4 engine system designs were parametrically evaluated. From this evaluation baseline, tripropellant Mars Transfer Vehicle (MTV) LOX cooled and bipropellant Lunar Excursion Vehicle (LEV) and Mars Excursion Vehicle (MEV) engine systems were identified. Representative tankage designs for a MTV were also investigated. Re-evaluation of the missions using the baseline engine design showed that in general the slightly lower performance, smaller, lower weight gas generator cycle-based engines required less overall mission Mars and in situ propellant production (ISPP) infrastructure support compared to the larger, heavier, higher performing expander cycle engine systems.

Pelaccio, Dennis↗
NASA NTRS1997

Oxygen liquefaction and zero-loss storage system

This paper presents an alternative concept that employs existing technologies and off-the-shelf components to liquefy gaseous oxygen from an in-situ propellant production (ISPP) unit and to store the liquid oxygen without boil-off loss. A primary goal is to minimize active components with a secondary goal of designing the active component in a protected or failure-free environment. The resulting design requires only one active component, a compressor operating in a closed and consequently more protected system. The design avoids pumps as active components by employing cryopumping for gaseous oxygen (GOX) and gravity transfer for liquid oxygen (LOX).

F. N. Lin↗
NASA NTRS1998

In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Development Program

The question "Why In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)?" is addressed in this presentation. The reasons given concentrate on Cost reduction, Mass reduction, Risk reduction, the expansion of human exploration and presence and the enabling of industrial exploitation. A review of the Martian and Lunar resources available for ISRU is presented. Other ISRU concepts (i.e., In-Situ Consumable production (ISCP) and In-Situ Propellant Production (ISPP)) are introduced and further explained. The objectives of a Mars ISRU System Technology (MIST) include (1) the characterization of technology and subsystem performance for mission modeling and technology funding planning, (2) reduce risk and concerns arising from sample return and human missions utilizing ISRU, and (3) demonstrate the environmental suitability of ISRU components/processes and systems. A proof of concept demonstration schedule and a facility overview for MIST is presented.

Sanders, Jerry↗