NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20230000047: Space Nuclear Propulsion For Deep Space Science Missions Space Nuclear Propulsion For Deep Space Science Missions - Info and Reading Options

The Internet Archive:

The use of nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) 1 and nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) 2 systems on deep\nspace science missions to the outer planets and into the interstellar medium 3 can yield significant spacecraft\nsystem and mission performance benefits and improvements relative to the use of conventional chemical\npropulsion systems. Several recent and ongoing programs are developing the technologies and systems\nrequired to realize a near-term deep space nuclear propulsion capability.\n\nNTP provides improved propulsion efficiencies compared to chemical propulsion, while also providing\nsubstantial thrust. This combination of high thrust and increased specific impulse (I_sp) provides high\nacceleration and extended thrusting periods, enabling greatly reduced trip-times on certain types of\nmissions compared to various propulsive alternatives. For examples, compared to a baseline mission using\nchemical propulsion, NTP-powered missions to Jupiter or Uranus could deliver approximately 2.4-3.6 times\nmore payload (in the case of Jupiter, the payload delivery is significantly larger than the Juno spacecraft).\nIn this comparison, the higher end of the payload advantage is obtained when the trip time is held equal for\nthe NTP-powered vehicle and a vehicle using a chemical propulsion departure stage.\n\nNTP systems are presently under development by multiple government agencies. NASA’s Space Nuclear\nPropulsion (SNP) project aims to demonstrate a hydrogen-fed NTP engine at 900 s specific impulse (I_sp)\nand approximately 10-15 klb_f of thrust. DARPA’s Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations\n(DRACO) program is targeting a demonstration of an NTP system in the cislunar space between the Earth\nand the Moon. An appropriately phased development plan that applies the development of the reactor\ntechnology for an NTP engine in this performance class and leverages mature, existing liquid rocket\ncomponent hardware provides a path to a lower cost propulsion system that can be realized on a shorter\ndevelopment schedule.\n\nNEP, with high Isp in the 2,000-8,000 s range, can also provide advantages over chemical propulsion,\nincluding a much greater payload delivery mass and the flexibility for planners to trade between delivered\nmass and a wider window of mission trajectory options. Electric propulsion (EP) systems have\ndemonstrated great utility, performing notably on the Dawn mission to enable rendezvous and orbital\ninsertion at two separate bodies, Vesta and Ceres. An NEP-powered vehicle would have a similar capability\nto visit multiple bodies, loitering at each before moving to the next. A 10 kW_e NEP system provides a power-\nrich environment on the spacecraft that is simply not possible using present radioisotope power systems,\ngiving mission planners more scientific instrument and communication hardware options.\n\nSeveral programs and projects are presently developing NEP systems and subsystems in the 10 kW_e power\nrange, leveraging past reactor work and recent nuclear power generation risk-reduction demonstration\nactivities such as the Demonstration Using Flattop Fission (DUFF) and the Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling\nTechnologY (KRUSTY). The goal of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Joint Energy Technology\nSupplying On-Orbit Nuclear Power (JETSON) program is an in-space demonstration vehicle that has a 10\nkW_e -class fission power source. These past and present efforts can be combined with the ongoing\ndevelopment of 10 kW_e -class electric propulsion systems (notably the NEXT-C ion thruster or the Hall-effect\nthrusters for Power and Propulsion Element of the Lunar Gateway) to provide a pathway to a low-cost,\nreliable NEP system for deep space science application.\n\n

Search for “NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20230000047: Space Nuclear Propulsion For Deep Space Science Missions Space Nuclear Propulsion For Deep Space Science Missions” downloads:

Visit our Downloads Search page to see if downloads are available.

Find “NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20230000047: Space Nuclear Propulsion For Deep Space Science Missions Space Nuclear Propulsion For Deep Space Science Missions” in Libraries Near You:

Read or borrow “NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20230000047: Space Nuclear Propulsion For Deep Space Science Missions Space Nuclear Propulsion For Deep Space Science Missions” from your local library.

• The WorldCat Libraries Catalog: Find a copy of “NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20230000047: Space Nuclear Propulsion For Deep Space Science Missions Space Nuclear Propulsion For Deep Space Science Missions” at a library near you.