Advanced solar electric power systems and electric propulsion technology constitute viable elements for conducting human Mars transfer missions that are roughly comparable in performance to similar missions utilizing alternative high thrust systems, with the one exception being their inability to achieve short Earth-Mars trip times. A modest solar electric propulsion human Mars scenario is presented that features the use of conjunction class trajectories in concert with pre-emplacement of surface assets that can be used in a series of visits to Mars. Major elements of the Mars solar electric transfer vehicle can be direct derivatives of present state-of-the-art Solar array and electric thruster systems. During the study, several elements affecting system performance were evaluated, including varying Earth orbit altitude for departure, recapturing the transfer stage at Earth for reuse, varying power system mass-to-power ratio, and assessing solar array degradation on performance induced by Van Allen belt passage. Comparisons are made to chemical propulsion and nuclear thermal propulsion Mars vehicles carrying similar payloads.
Human Mars Transportation Applications Using Solar Electric Propulsion
2000
18 pages
Report
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Space Technology , Solar electric propulsion , Solar arrays , Meetings , Nuclear propulsion , Chemical propulsion , Manned Mars missions , State of the art , Earth orbits , Earth-Mars trajectories , Orbit transfer vehicles , High thrust , Radiation belts , Payloads , Degradation , Electric power supplies
Solar electric propulsion for human mars missions
Elsevier | 2019
|Mars Missions Using Solar Electric Propulsion
AIAA | 2000
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