The Radiation and Technology Demonstration (RTD) Mission is under joint study by three NASA Centers: the NASA Johnson Space Center, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the NASA Glenn Research Center at LewisField. This Earth-orbiting mission, which may launch on a space shuttle in the first half of the next decade, has the primary objective of demonstrating high-power electric thruster technologies. Secondary objectives include better characterization of Earth's Van Allen trapped-radiation belts, measurement of the effectiveness of the radiation shielding for human protection, measurement of radiation effects on advanced solar cells, and demonstration of radiation-tolerant microelectronics. During the mission, which may continue up to 1 year, the 2000-kg RTD spacecraft will first spiral outward from the shuttle-deployed, medium-inclination, low Earth orbit. By the phased operation of a 10-kW Hall thruster and a 10-kW Variable Specific ImpulseMagneto-Plasma Rocket, the RTD spacecraft will reach a low-inclination Earth orbit with a radius greater than five Earth radii. This will be followed by an inward spiraling orbit phase when the spacecraft deploys 8 to 12 microsatellites to map the Van Allen belts.
Power System Options Evaluated for the Radiation and Technology Demonstration Mission
2000
3 pages
Report
No indication
English
Space Technology , Space missions , Radiation measurement , Technology utilization , Spacecraft propulsion , Power conditioning , Applications programs(Computers) , Costs , Earth orbital environments , Fortran , Gallium arsenides , Low earth orbits , Panels , Photovoltaic cells , Propellant tanks , Vasimr(Propulsion system) , Thrust