Lightweight spacecraft propulsion system selection

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Lightweight spacecraft propulsion system selection

Palaszewski, B. / Engelbrecht, C.

Various method of significantly reducing the mass of planetary spacecraft propulsion systems were addressed. Because of the Space Shuttle Challenger accident, the availability of the Space Transportation system for planetary missions may be limited. Mounting a future planetary mission with lowerenergy launch vehicles wil require a significant reduction in the spacecraft mass. Smaller launch vehicles for planetary missions were considered. In this study, the assumed payload capability for the planetary missions was restricted to the Delta and the Atlas-Centaur launch vehicles. Several propulsion and propulsion-related technologies for spacecraft mass reduction were investigated; ion, arcjet, resistojet and Magneto-Plasma-Dynamic (MPD) propulsion and Earth-storable high-energy propulsion system thrusters were candidates. The propulsion-related technologies included a start-basket Propellant Management Device (PMD), a nitrogen tetroxide (NTQ) diaghragm and a solid-cryogen cooler. Xenon (Xe)-Ion propulsion allowed the greatest mass reduction.