AIAA SPACE 2015 Conference and Exposition 2015
DOI: 10.2514/6.2015-4521
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Solar Electric Propulsion Concepts for Human Space Exploration

Abstract: Advances in solar array and electric thruster technologies now offer the promise of new, very capable space transportation systems that will allow us to cost effectively explore the solar system. NASA has developed numerous solar electric propulsion spacecraft concepts with power levels ranging from tens to hundreds of kilowatts for robotic and piloted missions to asteroids and Mars. This paper describes nine electric and hybrid solar electric/chemical propulsion concepts developed over the last 5 years and di… Show more

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Cited by 11 publications
(5 citation statements)
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“…While the majority of the thrusters tested were small-scale (<2kW), the theoretical mission analyses indicate the need for high-power EP systems to undertake the necessary trajectories and manoeuvres. This is supported by the missions currently being planned, some of which feature EP systems in excess of 10kW (24,25) or 100kW (25) .…”
Section: Previous Alternative Propellant Investigationsmentioning
confidence: 89%
“…While the majority of the thrusters tested were small-scale (<2kW), the theoretical mission analyses indicate the need for high-power EP systems to undertake the necessary trajectories and manoeuvres. This is supported by the missions currently being planned, some of which feature EP systems in excess of 10kW (24,25) or 100kW (25) .…”
Section: Previous Alternative Propellant Investigationsmentioning
confidence: 89%
“…Three focus applications have been chosen that represent desired NASA mission capabilities, but which can best be achieved by incorporating some degree of on-orbit assembly. The focus applications represent complete mission systems and are: 1) a megawatt class solar electric tug 12 ; 2) a nominally 20-meter diameter (main aperture) next generation space telescope such as the ATLAST 13 , and; 3) repair, replacement and repurposing of major systems modules that form an aggregation site at Earth-Moon L2 and the spacecraft that transports humans to Mars 14 . For each Focus Application, a series of challenges are listed, based on assuming a traditional architecture where the entire spacecraft is packaged and launched as a single integrated system that is deployed once on orbit.…”
Section: Focus Applicationsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The second part of the study selected three focus applications to represent desired NASA mission capabilities that can best be achieved by incorporating the SALSSA approach. These focus applications represent complete mission systems and are: 1) a megawatt class solar electric tug 12 , 2) a nominally 20-meter diameter (main aperture) next generation space telescope 3 , such as the Advanced Technology Large Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST) 13 , and, 3) repair, replacement and repurposing of major systems modules for the Evolvable Mars Campaign (EMC) spacecraft systems 14 . For each focus application, a notional large structural system architecture is defined, concepts are developed for discretizing the system into modules that can be orbited by existing launch vehicles, and a concept of operations is developed for robotically assembling the systems in space.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The second part of the study selected three focus applications to represent desired NASA mission capabilities that can best be achieved by incorporating the SALSSA approach: 1) a megawatt class solar electric propulsion (SEP) tug, 8 2) a nominally 20-meter diameter (main aperture) next generation space telescope, such as the Advanced Technology Large Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST), 9 and, 3) repair, replacement and repurposing of major systems modules for the Evolvable Mars Campaign (EMC) spacecraft systems. 10 For each focus application, a notional large structural system architecture was defined, concepts were developed for discretizing the system into modules that could be orbited using existing commercial launch vehicles, and a concept of operations was developed for robotically assembling the systems in space.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%