Reusable Lunar Transportation Architecture Utilizing Orbital Propellant Depots

Gaebler, John A.; Lugo, R.; Axdahl, Erik L.; Chai, Patrick; Grimes, Michael S.; Long, Matthew R.; Rowland, Robert A.; Wilhite, Alan W.

doi:10.2514/6.2009-6711

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Previous studies have identified the potential for the intersection of chemical propulsion, in-space storage, and propellant transfer to enable missions to Mars [4][5][6][7] . These studies have considered the application of those three capabilities to supporting Mars missions similar to the Design Reference Architecture 5.0 8 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cis-Lunar Reusable In-Space Transportation Architecture for the Evolvable Mars Campaign

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Human exploration missions to Mars or other destinations in the solar system require large quantities of propellant to enable the transportation of required elements from Earth's sphere of influence to Mars. Current and proposed launch vehicles are incapable of launching all of the requisite mass on a single vehicle; hence, multiple launches and in-space aggregation are required to perform a Mars mission. This study examines the potential of reusable chemical propulsion stages based in cis-lunar space to meet the transportation objectives of the Evolvable Mars Campaign and identifies cis-lunar propellant supply requirements. These stages could be supplied with fuel and oxidizer delivered to cis-lunar space, either launched from Earth or other inner solar system sources such as the Moon or near Earth asteroids. The effects of uncertainty in the model parameters are evaluated through sensitivity analysis of key parameters including the liquid propellant combination, inert mass fraction of the vehicle, change in velocity margin, and change in payload masses. The outcomes of this research include a description of the transportation elements, the architecture that they enable, and an option for a campaign that meets the objectives of the Evolvable Mars Campaign. This provides a more complete understanding of the propellant requirements, as a function of time, that must be delivered to cis-lunar space. Over the selected sensitivity ranges for the current payload and schedule requirements of the 2016 point of departure of the Evolvable Mars Campaign destination systems, the resulting propellant delivery quantities are between 34 and 61 tonnes per year of hydrogen and oxygen propellant, or between 53 and 76 tonnes per year of methane and oxygen propellant, or between 74 and 92 tonnes per year of hypergolic propellant. These estimates can guide future propellant manufacture and/or delivery architectural analysis.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cis-Lunar Reusable In-Space Transportation Architecture for the Evolvable Mars Campaign

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

In Situ Utilization of Indigenous Resources

Rapp

2023

Human Missions to Mars

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Phase Separation through Screen Channel Liquid Acquisition Devices in Microgravity

Shukla,

Dreyer

2024

Microgravity Sci. Technol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

To enable future deep space exploration, orbital refueling of spacecraft is essential. However, transferring liquid in a microgravity environment is a complex process dependent on various factors. One of the basic and critical tasks is to separate phases to allow the supply of gas-free liquid from one tank to another. For this purpose, a liquid acquisition device is essential. In this work, a screen channel liquid acquisition device was designed and used to investigate phase separation and liquid removal from an experiment tank in a microgravity environment. The experiments were performed using the drop tower facility at the University of Bremen, with HFE-7500 as the test liquid under isothermal conditions. This investigation explored the interdependent effects of various phenomena, including the reorientation of liquid in the tank, capillary rise between parallel plates, flow through screen pressure variation, and bubble point breakthrough. Under subcritical conditions, the SC-LAD was found to supply gas-free liquid at the outlet, as long as the pressure drop across the screen was lower than the bubble point threshold. At the critical point, the screen started to ingest bubbles, resulting in a sharp peak in the differential pressure signal. The wetted area of the screen was obtained by analyzing images captured with a high-speed camera and used to calculate the analytical pressure drop. The experimental results were compared with the analytical solution and discussed in detail.

show abstract

Reusable Lunar Transportation Architecture Utilizing Orbital Propellant Depots

Cited by 6 publications

References 7 publications

Cis-Lunar Reusable In-Space Transportation Architecture for the Evolvable Mars Campaign

Cis-Lunar Reusable In-Space Transportation Architecture for the Evolvable Mars Campaign

In Situ Utilization of Indigenous Resources

Phase Separation through Screen Channel Liquid Acquisition Devices in Microgravity

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About