Probably the most important factor in deciding the viability of future space projects will be the cost of transportation. This is particularly true of those missions catagorised as 'space industrialisation', which include plans to place massive solar power satellites in geostationary orbit. Although a major proportion of the transportation costs can be attributed to the initial stage of reaching low earth orbit, in many cases the expense of transferring cargoes and personnel to outer orbits will be crucial. This paper reviews the technological options available for this second stage, with emphasis on large, long-term projects, such as solar power satellites. It is concluded that chemical propulsion systems will be needed for the transfer of personnel, but that the high specific impulse offered by electric propulsion provides an enormous economic advantage for the movement of non-priority cargo. (Author)
A Review of Future Orbit Transfer Technology
1981
66 pages
Report
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Electric & Ion Propulsion , Rocket Engines & Motors , Unmanned Spacecraft , Thrusters , Ion engines , Rocket engines , Space transportation , Transfer trajectories , Specific impulse , Electric propulsion , Arc jet engines , Plasma engines , Payload , Mass transfer , Earth orbits , Low orbit trajectories , Artificial satellites , Industrial equipment , Solar energy , Solar satellites , Technology forecasting , Bibliographies , Foreign technology , Ion thrusters , Industrial satellites , Magnetoplasmadynamic arc thrusters , Kaufman thrusters , Geostationary orbits
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