In his National Space Policy of 1988, President Reagan committed to a goal of expanding human presence and activity in the solar system. This goal has provided the impetus for a resurgence of activity in a broad range of space technology efforts in general and for a number of propulsion technology programs in particular. Building on recommendations from several detailed studies of the U.S. space program, NASA has increased the level of investment in propulsion technology development. The Civil Space Technology Initiative is developing propulsion technology in support of near-Earth operations. These efforts are focused on both main and booster engines and seek to provide design methods and databases to support future developments of low cost, reliable transportation systems. Program elements include turbomachinery, combustion systems, and condition monitoring and diagnostics, and the design methodology developed at component levels will be verified in large scale systems. The Pathfinder program is developing a suite of technologies to enable a broad range of manned and unmanned missions beyond Earth's orbit. These include both chemical and electric propulsion technologies to support potential missions to the moon and Mars.
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Directions in Space Propulsion for 2000 and Beyond
1989
12 pages
Report
No indication
English
Rocket Engines & Motors , Electric & Ion Propulsion , Space exploration , Spacecraft propulsion , Manned space flight , NASA programs , Policies , Booster rocket engines , Chemical propulsion , Data bases , Hybrid propellant rocket engines , Liquid oxygen , Liquid propellant rocket engines , Mars (Planet) , Monitors , Moon , Orbit transfer vehicles , Orbital launching , Solar system , Turbomachinery , Pathfinder program