A simple family of indirect-transfer trajectories between circular orbits is used to evaluate the mass ratio required to complete round-trip interplanetary missions using low-thrust propulsion systems. These trajectories, although not optimum, yielded very substantial reductions in total round-trip time for Mars missions with moderate increases in initial weight. For a powerplant specific weight a of 10 pounds per kilowatt of jet power, trip times were reduced from 1200 to 600 days, for a typical manned mission, with an initial weight increase of a factor of two. Comparison with a nuclear rocket with 1000-second specific impulse indicated that the electric-propulsion system required less initial weight for trip times as low as 550 days with alpha equal to 10 and as low as 400 days with alpha equal to 5 pounds per kilowatt. Further weight reductions would be expected with more nearly optimum trajectories.


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    Titel :

    Fast Interplanetary Missions with Low-Thrust Propulsion Systems


    Beteiligte:
    Moeckel, W. E. (Autor:in)

    Erscheinungsdatum :

    1961-01-01


    Medientyp :

    Sonstige


    Format :

    Keine Angabe


    Sprache :

    Englisch