Currently, trade-offs are being made among the various propulsion systems being considered for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) missions. It is necessary to investigate the reliability aspects as well as the efficiency, mass savings, and experience characteristics of the various configurations. Reliability is a very important factor for the SEI missions because of the long duration and because problems will be fixed onboard. The propulsion options that were reviewed consist of nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) and various configurations of each system. There were four configurations developed for comparison with the NTP as baselined in the Synthesis (1991): (1) NEP, (2) hybrid NEP/NTP, (3) hybrid with power beaming, and (4) NTP upper stage on the heavy lift launch vehicle (HLLV). The comparisons were based more or less on a qualitative review of complexity, stress levels and operations for each of the four configurations. Each configuration included a pressurized NEP and an NTP ascent stage propulsion system for the Mars mission.
Reliability comparison of various nuclear propulsion configurations for Mars mission
1992
8 pages
Report
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Nuclear Propulsion , Extraterrestrial Exploration , Nuclear Auxiliary Power Systems , Mars Space Probes , Propulsion Systems , Space Propulsion Reactors , Space Vehicles , Propulsion , Reactor Components , Reactor Operation , Reliability , Space Flight , Stresses , Uranium 235 , Nuclear propulsion , EDB/210600