Propellant Mass Fraction Calculation Methodology for Launch Vehicles and Application to Ares Vehicles

Holt, James B.; Monk, Timothy

doi:10.2514/6.2009-6655

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Since typically more than 90% of the mass required for chemical rocket propulsion systems (such as hydrogenoxygen combustion engines) is propellant [5], the highest priority in space resource utilization is to make and use propellants in-situ. Large mission mass savings will result since the deep gravity well of the Earth, which accounts for 9.3 -10 km/s of delta-velocity to reach low Earth orbit from Kennedy Space Center at an orbital inclination of 28 degrees, can be avoided.…”

Section: Regolith Excavation Needsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR)

Mueller

Cox

Ebert

et al. 2013

2013 IEEE Aerospace Conference

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Abstract-Regolith is abundant on extra-terrestrial surfacesand is the source of many resources such as oxygen, hydrogen, titanium, aluminum, iron, silica and other valuable materials, which can be used to make rocket propellant, consumables for life support, radiation protection barrier shields, landing pads, blast protection berms, roads, habitats and other structures and devices. Recent data from the Moon also indicates that there are substantial deposits of water ice in permanently shadowed crater regions and possibly under an over burden of regolith. The key to being able to use this regolith and acquire the resources, is being able to manipulate it with robotic excavation and hauling machinery that can survive and operate in these very extreme extra-terrestrial surface environments.In addition, the reduced gravity on the Moon, Mars, comets and asteroids poses a significant challenge in that the necessary reaction force for digging cannot be provided by the robot's weight as is typically done on Earth. Space transportation is expensive and limited in capacity, so small, lightweight payloads are desirable, which means large traditional excavation machines are not a viable option.A novel, compact and lightweight excavation robot prototype for manipulating, excavating, acquiring, hauling and dumping regolith on extra-terrestrial surfaces has been developed and tested. Lessons learned and test results will be presented including digging in a variety of lunar regolith simulant conditions including frozen regolith mixed with water ice

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Section: Regolith Excavation Needsmentioning

confidence: 99%