Propulsion Systems for Interstellar Exploration
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The Solar Cruiser Mission: Demonstrating Large Solar Sails for Deep Space Missions
The Solar Cruiser Mission: Demonstrating Large Solar Sails for Deep Space Missions Les Johnson*, Frank M. Curran**, Richard W. Dissly***, and Andrew F. Heaton* * NASA Marshall Space Flight Center ** MZBlue Aerospace NASA Image *** Ball Aerospace Solar Sails Derive Propulsion By Reflecting Photons Solar sails use photon “pressure” or force on thin, lightweight, reflective sheets to produce thrust. NASA Image 2 Solar Sail Missions Flown (as of October 2019) NanoSail-D (2010) IKAROS (2010) LightSail-1 (2015) CanX-7 (2016) InflateSail (2017) NASA JAXA The Planetary Society Canada EU/Univ. of Surrey Earth Orbit Interplanetary Earth Orbit Earth Orbit Earth Orbit Deployment Only Full Flight Deployment Only Deployment Only Deployment Only 3U CubeSat 315 kg Smallsat 3U CubeSat 3U CubeSat 3U CubeSat 10 m2 196 m2 32 m2 <10 m2 10 m2 3 Current and Planned Solar Sail Missions CU Aerospace (2018) LightSail-2 (2019) Near Earth Asteroid Solar Cruiser (2024) Univ. Illinois / NASA The Planetary Society Scout (2020) NASA NASA Earth Orbit Earth Orbit Interplanetary L-1 Full Flight Full Flight Full Flight Full Flight In Orbit; Not yet In Orbit; Successful deployed 6U CubeSat 90 Kg Spacecraft 3U CubeSat 86 m2 >1200 m2 3U CubeSat 32 m2 20 m2 4 Near Earth Asteroid Scout The Near Earth Asteroid Scout Will • Image/characterize a NEA during a slow flyby • Demonstrate a low cost asteroid reconnaissance capability Key Spacecraft & Mission Parameters • 6U cubesat (20cm X 10cm X 30 cm) • ~86 m2 solar sail propulsion system • Manifested for launch on the Space Launch System (Artemis 1 / 2020) • 1 AU maximum distance from Earth Leverages: combined experiences of MSFC and JPL Close Proximity Imaging Local scale morphology, with support from GSFC, JSC, & LaRC terrain properties, landing site survey Target Reconnaissance with medium field imaging Shape, spin, and local environment NEA Scout Full Scale EDU Sail Deployment 6 Solar Cruiser Mission Concept Mission Profile Solar Cruiser may launch as a secondary payload on the NASA IMAP mission in October, 2024. -
In a Comprehensive New Test, the Emdrive Fails to Generate Any Thrust 7 April 2021, by Paul M
In a comprehensive new test, the EmDrive fails to generate any thrust 7 April 2021, by Paul M. Sutter conservation of momentum has been tested countless times over centuries—in fact, that principle forms the bedrock of almost every single theory of physics. So in essence, almost every time physics is tested, so is the conservation of momentum. The results of the Eagleworks experiment were not very strong. While the team claimed to measure a thrust, it wasn't statistically significant, and appeared to be a result of "cherry-picking"—the authors watching random fluctuations and waiting for the right time to report their results. But in the spirit of scientific replication, a team at the Dresden University of Technology led by Prof. Martin Tajmar rebuilt the Eagleworks experimental The EmDrive is a hypothetical rocket that setup. proponents claim can generate thrust with no exhaust. This would violate all known physics. In And they found squat. 2016, a team at NASA's Eagleworks lab claimed to measure thrust from an EmDrive device, the news Reporting their results in the Proceedings of Space of which caused quite a stir. The latest attempt to Propulsion Conference 2020, Prof. Tajmar said, replicate the shocking results has resulted in a "We found out that the cause of the 'thrust' was a simple answer: The Eagleworks measurement was thermal effect. For our tests, we used NASAs from heating of the engine mount, not any new EmDrive configuration from White et al. (which was physics. used at the Eagleworks laboratories, because it is best documented and the results were published in The EmDrive is a relatively simple device: It's an the Journal of Propulsion and Power.) empty cavity that isn't perfectly symmetrical. -
Deuterium – Tritium Pulse Propulsion with Hydrogen As Propellant and the Entire Space-Craft As a Gigavolt Capacitor for Ignition
Deuterium – Tritium pulse propulsion with hydrogen as propellant and the entire space-craft as a gigavolt capacitor for ignition. By F. Winterberg University of Nevada, Reno Abstract A deuterium-tritium (DT) nuclear pulse propulsion concept for fast interplanetary transport is proposed utilizing almost all the energy for thrust and without the need for a large radiator: 1. By letting the thermonuclear micro-explosion take place in the center of a liquid hydrogen sphere with the radius of the sphere large enough to slow down and absorb the neutrons of the DT fusion reaction, heating the hydrogen to a fully ionized plasma at a temperature of ~ 105 K. 2. By using the entire spacecraft as a magnetically insulated gigavolt capacitor, igniting the DT micro-explosion with an intense GeV ion beam discharging the gigavolt capacitor, possible if the space craft has the topology of a torus. 1. Introduction The idea to use the 80% of the neutron energy released in the DT fusion reaction for nuclear micro-bomb rocket propulsion, by surrounding the micro-explosion with a thick layer of liquid hydrogen heated up to 105 K thereby becoming part of the exhaust, was first proposed by the author in 1971 [1]. Unlike the Orion pusher plate concept, the fire ball of the fully ionized hydrogen plasma can here be reflected by a magnetic mirror. The 80% of the energy released into 14MeV neutrons cannot be reflected by a magnetic mirror for thermonuclear micro-bomb propulsion. This was the reason why for the Project Daedalus interstellar probe study of the British Interplanetary Society [2], the neutron poor deuterium-helium 3 (DHe3) reaction was chosen. -
The Dark Side of the Emdrive
The Dark Side of the EMDrive Michael Harney The current debate over the theoretical operation of the EMDrive has created a controversy that may upset our current theories of physics and if validated, gives us a gateway to space travel that we have not known before. If it is true that the EMDrive and its variants (such as the Cannae drive) are producing a tiny thrust for just the input of microwave power into a cavity without the requirement to carry any propellant into space, the promise of distant space travel is open before us. With no requirement of the storage of a propellant, the mass of a rocket ship is lowered drastically when considering distant voyages. If the mass of EMDrive and its power source (let’s say solar cells or a Plutonium battery) were only 1 Kg, for instance, it can reach a phenomenal speed in a short period of time with just a little thrust from the EMDrive. For a 1 Kg mass that is generating a thrust of 0.1 Newtons in the vacuum of space, this little ship will have a constant acceleration of 0.1 meters per second-squared and can reach 9,460,800 meters per second (about 3% the speed of light) in three years. The kinetic energy it has amounts to 89,506,736,640,000 Joules of energy, which is equivalent to a 21 Kiloton nuclear device, similar to what was dropped on Nagasaki during World War II. This is all from a 1 Kg EMDrive launched out of Earth’s gravity and directed around the solar system to increase its speed for 3 years based on currently plausible EMDrive thrusts. -
Closed Complex Inertial Systems
IJIREEICE ISSN (Online) 2321-2004 ISSN (Print) 2321- 5526 International Journal of Innovative Research in Electrical, Electronics, Instrumentation and Control Engineering CAEE-2018 Conference on Advances in Electronics Engineering 2018 Thakur College of Engineering and Technology, Thakur Vol. 6, Special Issue 1, February 2018 Closed Complex Inertial Systems Anirudh Pednekar, Ankita Jha, Shubham Patil, Aditi Jain Student TE ETRX, TCET, Mumbai, India Abstract: Closed system inertial devices are the devices that can produce a one directional force that would propel any given mass relative to it and hence forth would not follow the fundamental laws of Physics. It does not produce equal and opposite reaction as it uses specific arrangement of weights that can move within the device hence forth capable of moving the body without giving an equal and opposite reaction to move the body. The best way of proving such a device is to conduct an experiment in space or in mid-air so as to have least frictional resistance and no physical contact to other solid particles as of such. Keywords: closed system, inertia, laws of physics I. INTRODUCTION Closed system means a system of engine or any physical quantity of a particular device having its propulsion medium isolated from the immediate surrounding. The body/vehicle has a special kind of device that uses peculiar type of accelerator which would use electricity for the engine hence forth has no such emission that is expelled outside the system. The system having no emission as such produces no equal and opposite reactional forces as well hence forth doesn’t follow the Newtons 3rd law of motion. -
Space Propulsion.Pdf
Deep Space Propulsion K.F. Long Deep Space Propulsion A Roadmap to Interstellar Flight K.F. Long Bsc, Msc, CPhys Vice President (Europe), Icarus Interstellar Fellow British Interplanetary Society Berkshire, UK ISBN 978-1-4614-0606-8 e-ISBN 978-1-4614-0607-5 DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-0607-5 Springer New York Dordrecht Heidelberg London Library of Congress Control Number: 2011937235 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012 All rights reserved. This work may not be translated or copied in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher (Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA), except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights. Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) This book is dedicated to three people who have had the biggest influence on my life. My wife Gemma Long for your continued love and companionship; my mentor Jonathan Brooks for your guidance and wisdom; my hero Sir Arthur C. Clarke for your inspirational vision – for Rama, 2001, and the books you leave behind. Foreword We live in a time of troubles. -
A New Vision for Fusion Energy Research: Fusion Rocket Engines for Planetary Defense Abstract We Argue That It Is Essential Fo
LA-UR-15-23198 A New Vision for Fusion Energy Research: Fusion Rocket Engines for Planetary Defense G. A. Wurden1, T. E. Weber1, P. J. Turchi2, P. B. Parks3, T. E. Evans3, S. A. Cohen4, J. T. Cassibry5, E. M. Campbell6 1Los Alamos National Laboratory 2Santa Fe, NM 3General Atomics 4Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory 5University of Alabama, Huntsville 6Sandia National Laboratory Abstract We argue that it is essential for the fusion energy program to identify an imagination- capturing critical mission by developing a unique product which could command the marketplace. We lay out the logic that this product is a fusion rocket engine, to enable a rapid response capable of deflecting an incoming comet, to prevent its impact on the planet Earth, in defense of our population, infrastructure, and civilization. As a side benefit, deep space solar system exploration, with greater speed and orders-of-magnitude greater payload mass would also be possible. The US Department of Energy’s magnetic fusion research program, based in its Office of Science, focuses on plasma and fusion science1 to support the long term goal of environmentally friendly, socially acceptable, and economically viable electricity production from fusion reactors.2 For several decades the US magnetic fusion program has had to deal with a lack of urgency towards and inconsistent funding for this ambitious goal. In many American circles, fusion isn’t even at the table3 when it comes to discussing future energy production. Is there another, more urgent, unique, and even more important application for fusion? Fusion’s unique application As an on-board power source and thruster for fast propulsion in space,4 a fusion reactor would provide unparalleled performance (high specific impulse and high specific power) for a spacecraft. -
Orbit Transfer Problems and the Results You Obtained
MS&E 315 and CME 304 Solar sailing between Earth and Mars 1 Overview In this project, you will use your knowledge of nonlinear optimization to help a space agency design a cargo mission. The mission consists of making a cargo spacecraft perform interplanetary orbit transfers between Earth and Mars, and the agency is considering using a solar sail to propel the spacecraft. They need you to determine how the spacecraft should be operated to perform these orbit transfers in the shortest possible time for different solar sail technologies. 2 Mission information 2.1 Simplifications The agency has determined that the following simplifications are acceptable for your analysis: 1. Orbits are heliocentric, circular and co-planar. 2. Gravitational effects due to celestial bodies other than the Sun are ignored. 3. The Sun and spacecraft are modeled as point masses. 4. The Sun has spherically symmetric gravitational and radiation fields. 2.2 Problem description The problem you have to solve consists of determining how the solar sail of the spacecraft should be oriented to make the spacecraft perform each of the interplanetary orbit transfers Earth-Mars and Mars-Earth in the shortest possible time. You have to perform this analysis for some, say three, of the available solar sail technologies so that the agency can choose the most appropriate one in terms of cost and performance. Each solar sail technology is identified by a characteristic acceleration, as described in the next subsection. Figure1 shows a diagram of the orbits of interest, where rE and !E denote the radius and angular velocity, respectively, of Earth's orbit around the Sun, and rM and !M denote the radius and angular velocity, respectively, of Mars's orbit around the Sun. -
Hyperspace NASA BPP Program Books 8
Advanced Space Propulsion Concepts for Interstellar Travel Gregory V. Meholic [email protected] Planets HR 8799 140 LY 11/14/08 Updated 9/25/2019 1 Presentation Objectives and Caveats ▪ Provide a high-level, “evolutionary”, information-only overview of various propulsion technology concepts that, with sufficient development (i.e. $), may lead mankind to the stars. ▪ Only candidate concepts for a vehicle’s primary interstellar propulsion system will be discussed. No attitude control No earth-to-orbit launch No traditional electric systems No sail-based systems No beamed energy ▪ None of the following will be given, assumed or implied: Recommendations on specific mission designs Developmental timelines or cost estimates ▪ Not all propulsion options will be discussed – that would be impossible! 2 Chapters 1. The Ultimate Space Mission 2. The Solar System and Beyond 3. Challenges of Human Star Flight 4. “Rocket Science” Basics 5. Conventional Mass Ejection Propulsion Systems State-of-the-Art Possible Improvements 6. Alternative Mass Ejection Systems Nuclear Fission Nuclear Fusion Matter/Antimatter Other Concepts 7. Physics-Based Concepts Definitions and Things to Remember Space-Time Warp Drives Fundamental Force Coupling Alternate Dimension / Hyperspace NASA BPP Program Books 8. Closing Information 3 Chapter 1: The Ultimate Space Mission 4 The Ultimate Space Mission For humans to travel to the stars and return to Earth within a “reasonable fraction” (around 15 years) of a human lifetime. ▪ Why venture beyond our Solar System? Because we have to - humans love to explore!!! Visit the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud – Theoretical home to long-period comets Investigate the nature of the interstellar medium and its influence on the solar system (and vice versa) – Magnetic fields, low-energy galactic cosmic rays, composition, etc. -
Hybrid Solar Sails for Active Debris Removal Final Report
HybridSail Hybrid Solar Sails for Active Debris Removal Final Report Authors: Lourens Visagie(1), Theodoros Theodorou(1) Affiliation: 1. Surrey Space Centre - University of Surrey ACT Researchers: Leopold Summerer Date: 27 June 2011 Contacts: Vaios Lappas Tel: +44 (0) 1483 873412 Fax: +44 (0) 1483 689503 e-mail: [email protected] Leopold Summerer (Technical Officer) Tel: +31 (0)71 565 4192 Fax: +31 (0)71 565 8018 e-mail: [email protected] Ariadna ID: 10-6411b Ariadna study type: Standard Contract Number: 4000101448/10/NL/CBi Available on the ACT website http://www.esa.int/act Abstract The historical practice of abandoning spacecraft and upper stages at the end of mission life has resulted in a polluted environment in some earth orbits. The amount of objects orbiting the Earth poses a threat to safe operations in space. Studies have shown that in order to have a sustainable environment in low Earth orbit, commonly adopted mitigation guidelines should be followed (the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee has proposed a set of debris mitigation guidelines and these have since been endorsed by the United Nations) as well as Active Debris Removal (ADR). HybridSail is a proposed concept for a scalable de-orbiting spacecraft that makes use of a deployable drag sail membrane and deployable electrostatic tethers to accelerate orbital decay. The HybridSail concept consists of deployable sail and tethers, stowed into a nano-satellite package. The nano- satellite, deployed from a mothership or from a launch vehicle will home in towards the selected piece of space debris using a small thruster-propulsion firing and magnetic attitude control system to dock on the debris. -
Fusion Rockets for Planetary Defense
| Los Alamos National Laboratory | Fusion Rockets for Planetary Defense Glen Wurden Los Alamos National Laboratory PPPL Colloquium March 16, 2016 LA-UR-16-21396 LA-UR-15-xxxx UNCLASSIFIED Operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's NNSA | Los Alamos National Laboratory | My collaborators on this topic: T. E. Weber1, P. J. Turchi2, P. B. Parks3, T. E. Evans3, S. A. Cohen4, J. T. Cassibry5, E. M. Campbell6 . 1Los Alamos National Laboratory . 2Santa Fe, NM . 3General Atomics . 4Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory . 5University of Alabama, Huntsville . 6LLE, University of Rochester, Rochester Wurden et al., Journal of Fusion Energy, Vol. 35, 1, 123 (2016) UNCLASSIFIED Operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's NNSA | Los Alamos National Laboratory | How many ways is electricity made today? Primary Energy Source Nominally CO2 Free Current capacity (%) Expected Lifetime (yrs) Natural Gas no 100 Coal no 80.6 400 Oil no < 50 Biomass neutral 11.4 > 400 Wind yes 0.5 > 1000 Solar photovoltaic yes 0.06 > 1000 Solar thermal yes 0.17 > 1000 Hydro yes 3.3 > 1000 Wave/Tidal yes 0.001 > 1000 Geothermal yes 0.12 > 1000 Nuclear fission yes 2.7 > 400 [i] REN21–Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century Renewables 2012–Global Status Report, 2012, http://www.map.ren21.net/GSR/GSR2012.pdf , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_development UNCLASSIFIED Operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's NNSA | Los Alamos National Laboratory | What is the most important product that fusion could deliver? . -
Advancing Asteroid Surface Exploration Using Sublimate- Based Regenerative Micropropulsion and 3D Path Planning
Advancing Asteroid Surface Exploration Using Sublimate- Based Regenerative Micropropulsion And 3D Path Planning Item Type text; Electronic Thesis Authors Wilburn, Greg Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 07/10/2021 15:36:40 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/636641 ADVANCING ASTEROID SURFACE EXPLORATION USING SUBLIMATE-BASED REGENERATIVE MICROPROPULSION AND 3D PATH PLANNING by Greg Wilburn ____________________________ Copyright © Greg Wilburn 2019 A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2019 Acknowledgements The author would first like to thank his thesis committee members for their help and direction in solving some of the complex problems in this work. The author acknowledges the time and effort of his advisor, Dr. Jekan Thangavelauthum, for his guidance over the entire course of the project. Recognition is deserved for Dr. Erik Asphaug and Dr. Stephen Schwarz for their development of the AMIGO robot concept. The development of MEMS systems presented could not have been done without the coursework and guidance from Dr. Eniko Enikov. Special thanks goes to my friends and family who have supported and encouraged me through my graduate studies. I couldn’t have done it without you, Emilia! 3 Table of Contents I.