Chemical and electric propulsion technologies for operations beyond the shuttle's orbit with focus on future mission needs and economic effectiveness is discussed. The adequacy of the existing propulsion state-of-the-art, barriers to its utilization, benefit of technology advances, and the prognosis for advancement are the themes of the discussion. Low-thrust propulsion for large space systems is cited as a new technology with particularly high benefit. It is concluded that the shuttle's presence for at least two decades is a legitimate basis for new propulsion technology, but that this technology must be predicted on an awareness of mission requirements, economic factors, influences of other technologies, and real constraints on its utilization.
Space Propulsion Technology Overview
1979
10 pages
Report
No indication
English
Space propulsion technology overview
NTRS | 1979
|Space propulsion technology overview
NTRS | 1979
|Space propulsion technology overview
AIAA | 1979
|Space Propulsion Technology Program Overview
NTRS | 1991
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