The Descent Stage Propulsion System (DSPS) is the most challenging and complex propulsion system ever built at JPL. Performance requirements, such as the entry Reaction Control System (RCS) requirements, and the terminal descent requirements (3300 N maximum thrust and approximately 835,000 N-s total impulse in less than a minute), required a large amount of propellant and a large number of components for a spacecraft that had to fit in a 4.5 meter aeroshell. The size and shape of the aeroshell, along with the envelope of the stowed rover, limited the configuration options for the Descent Stage structure. The configuration and mass constraints of the Descent Stage structure, along with performance requirements, drove the configuration of the DSPS. This paper will examine some of the challenges encountered and solutions developed during the fabrication, assembly, and test of the DSPS.


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    Title :

    Fabrication Assembly and Test of the Mars Science Laboratory Descent Stage Propulsion System


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    AAS/AIAA Spaceflight Mechanics Meeting ; 2013 ; Kauai, HI, United States


    Publication date :

    2013-02-10


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




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