NASA’S Space Science Missions
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Outline ! RPS History ! RPS Technologies Performance Comparison ! RPS Availability Study ! Plutonium Shortage ! Discovery & Scout Mission Capability Expansion - Status ! ASRG Development - Status Radioisotope Power for ! Plans for Discovery 2009 AO NASA’s Space Science Missions Briefing to Outer Planets Advisory Group March 31, 2008 Leonard A. Dudzinski Program Executive, Radioisotope Power Systems Program NASA Headquarters, Science Mission Directorate PRE-DECISIONAL. FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY 2 ! RTG’s were used safely in 28 missions since 1961 Radioisotope Missions Radioisotope Power Systems ! 10 Earth orbit (Transit, Nimbus, LES) ! 8 planetary (Pioneer, Voyager, Galileo, Ulysses, Cassini, New Horizons) Technology Evolution ! 6 on lunar surface (Apollo ALSEP) ! 4 on Mars surface (Viking 1& 2) ! 3 RHUs on Mars Pathfinder, 8 RHUs for each MER MHW-RTG TRL 9 GPHS-RTG TRL 9 MMRTG TRL 5-6 TRL 7-8 TRL 9 MSL OPF 123 We 283We 2.8 W/kg 158 We 5.1 W/kg 6.3% Efficiency 4.2 W/kg 6.8% Efficiency 6.6% Efficiency > 14 Year life ASRG > 14 Year life ! Ulysses, Gallileo, TRL 3-4 TRL 5-6 TRL 7-8 TRL 9 ! LES 8/9, Voyager 1 & 2 Cassini, New Horizons Eng Unit Discovery 12 SNAP-19 > 140 We > 7 W/kg TRL 9 > 28% Efficiency 40 We 3 W/kg Advanced Technology 6.2% Efficiency TRL 1-2 TRL 3-4 TRL 5-6 14 Year life !Viking 1 & 2 (8/20/75) NOTE: Graphics not to Scale ATEC, TPV, Advanced Stirling 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2010 2015 7 4 May 22, 2007 Pre-decisional / NASA Internal Use Only 5 March 19, 2008 PRE-DECISIONAL. FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY RPS Development History RPS Technology Comparison Current Technology Flight Development Advanced Technology Specific Fuel Efficiency (W History of success Specific Fuel Efficiency (W Flight system development Radioisotope Power managed by DOE Conversion Technology • Drivers: Multi-mission, Life (RPCT) Project & Reliability, Modular • Additional Drivers: Improved ASRG Performance, Lower Mass Multi-Mission RTG GPHS-RTG (MMRTG) • NRA extended phase Pu-238 Savings Advanced Concepts • Lower risk, low Pu-238 Savings • 285 We efficiency (8 GPHS) • Improve • 123 W , 6% • 6% Efficiency using e • Efficiency SRG 110 e Efficiency • Specific Power (Redirected) TPV e /kg Pu-238) SiGe /kg Pu-238) (PbTe/TAGS) • Reliability Thermoelectrics • Scalable Generator Efficiency (%) • 18 GPHS • Multi-mission capability Generator Efficiency (%) Advanced Stirling Advanced Thermoelectrics • 4 We/kg (EOL) Radioisotope (Deep space only) Generator (ASRG) MMRTG GPHS RTG • Vacuum applications • ! Pu-238 as MMRTG (2 GPHS) In-house Advanced Research • > 140 We, >28% Efficiency • GRC Stirling Development • GRC Thermophotovoltaics Specific Power (W /kg) • JPL Thermoelectric Development e Mass savings PRE-DECISIONAL. FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY 5 PRE-DECISIONAL. FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY 8B6 Radioisotope Power System Application Origin Of The ASRG and MMRTG in Near Term Planetary Missions 1995 2001 2004 238 New NASA Directives Flagship Mars Projected Power Req’m RPS Pu Usage New Frontiers Lunar Launch (W ) Do smaller missions e Type (kg) Discovery/Scout Year ! (lower power) Mars Science Lab 2009 100 1 MMRTG 3.5 In Development Reduce the cost ! (smaller RPS) Juno (New Frontiers 2) 2011 No RPS requirement In Development Fly more often Joint NASA / DOE team Discovery 12 2014 250 2 ASRG 1.8 Under Study reviewed: New Frontiers 3 2016 250-600 2-4 ASRG 1.8-3.5 Directed SRG recommended to Non-nuclear ! Missions planned meet a range of space MSL Selects MMRTG ! Available RPS Options Outer Planets Flagship 1 2017 700-850 7 MMRTG 24.5 Under Study and surface missions Development transferred to MSL Discovery 13 2017 at ~ 100 We No RPS requirement Solar Probe 2020 200 2 MMRTG 7.0 Directed MMRTG Non-nuclear recommended as backup ! Out year New Frontier mission opportunities will likely require 250-600 We RPS ! Future odd numbered Discovery mission opportunities may have an RPS option SRG-110 and MMRTG projects started under ! Next Flagship mission will be post 2025 NSI / Prometheus ! Radioisotope heater units may be required on these and other missions ! Other science missions not listed here may also require RPS PRE-DECISIONAL. FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY 5A7 PRE-DECISIONAL. FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY 8 RPS Flagship Availability Study RPS System Performance Comparison Summary Findings • Usable Pu238 inventory identified ! Assumes all Russian plutonium purchases made ! Does not include new US production ! Enough for MSL, Discovery 12, OPF, and possibly one other mission MMRTG ASRG* • Additional Issue: Losing vendor for Fine Weave Pierced Fabric (FWPF) material used to make GPHS BOM Net Electrical Power 123 We 140 - 160 We ! DOE pursuing either a replacement material or a new Total Mass per Unit 44 kg 22 - 20 kg method of procuring FWPF (Cost & schedule impact uncertain) Specific Power 2.8 We/kg 6.4 - 8 We/kg ! Limits GPHS available to OPF Mass for >800 We FS Mission 308 kg (861 We) 132 kg (840 We) • MMRTG production rate: 1 per year (start 2010) ! TRL 7 in Jul 2008 RPS System Efficiency ~ 6.3 % > 28% ! 2 fueled MMRTG per year possible with full scale ASP line 238 We per kg Pu 35 We/kg 159 - 180 We/kg • ASRG production rate: 3 per year (start 2011) Mass of Pu238 per Unit 3.52 kg 0.88 kg ! TRL 6 in Mar 2008, TRL 7 possible in 2010 if “Go Ahead” given Number of GPHS Modules 8 2 • DOE issues Development Cost $94M ~$115M ! Recommends NASA buys remaining Russian fuel ! Recommends NASA funds continued uninterrupted production of Pu pellets after MSL MMRTG is fueled Unit Cost $36M $20M ! DOE seeks authorization for new US Pu238 production (FY09 appropriation) o o o o Hot / Cold-end Temperature 538 C / 210 C 640 - 850 C / 80 C ! First output would be in 2014, with full production by 2016 (Only 1/2 assumed to NASA) BOM Heat Output 1877 Wt 360 Wt • Plutonium needs must be balanced between Science & Exploration * Range based on ASRG PRE-DECISIONAL. FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY development options 9 PRE-DECISIONAL. FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY 10 Plutonium Supply vs Potential NASA Demand Magnitude of the Potential Shortage RPS Availability Study Results ! SMD has allocated money to purchase all remaining Russian 238Pu, and support DoE efforts to negotiate a new contract • Potential mission roadmap demand exceeds available Pu238 & new Pu238 production rate Future FWPF Limit ! SMD has allocated money to extend current last-production run of FWPF to Flagship 2 • Mission planning will have to reconcile with Demand Discvy 17 meet mission needs for the foreseeable future actual Pu238 availability Exceeds New Frontiers 5 Supply (Venus) . CHANGE ! SMD & ESMD endorse DoE efforts to restart domestic production of 238Pu 238 Pu Supply Exploration Potentially Available Rover Power New Pu238 Production ! The 2015 Outer Planet Flagship mission will use MMRTGs Remaining Russian Mars Mission ! Missions encouraged to reduce power requirements Pu238 Purchases NOTIONAL. FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. SUBJECT TO ! Decision based on risk of large OPF mission with new technology (including ASRG) Lunar Rover Current New Frontiers 4 Exploration Lunar Rover Power FWPF Limit Mission Solar Discovery 15 ! ASRG will be readied for flight as quickly as practical, and SMD will look for Probe Existing Pu238 Inventory -1.8 kg Exploration a mission opportunity to flight validate the new power system Rover Power New ! Competed missions (Discovery & New Frontiers) avoid new technology risk (like ASRG) Frontiers 3 Exploration Discovery 12 Lander Power 238 MSL Flagship 1 Pu Outflows ! Imperative for Discovery & Scout Mission Capability Expansion Program PRE-DECISIONAL. FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY 11 PRE-DECISIONAL. FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY 12 Discovery & Scout Mission Capability Expansion Discovery & Scout Mission Capability Expansion Program Summary Mission Study Selections ! Program Purpose No Target Title Principle Inv Institutions ! Create opportunity for new science on Discovery and Scout budgets 34 Moon ExoMoon: ASRG-Powered Dr Richard Elphic LANL, Ball Aerospace, Honeybee Robotics, UC, GSFC, ARC, CUA, UHi ! Foster exploration of Discovery & Scout class missions enabled by nuclear power in the planetary science community Mobile Lander Lunar Polar Exploration ! Encourage the formation of mission design teams to begin the discussion of necessary engineering trades 6 Moon JEDI: A Lunar Polar Volatile Dr Bradley Jolliff Washington U, SWRI, LANL, LM, ! Inform NASA of the breadth of missions possible with the addition of the ASRG technology to the Discovery and/or Obv. Midi-Pyrenees, U of Guelph Mars Scout programs Rover/Comsat Explorer ! Program Plan 19 Titan Titan Mare Explorer (TiME) Dr Ellen Stofan Proxemy Research, UofAz, CITech, Lockheed Martin, USGS, JHU/APL ! Solicit mission concept proposals for small planetary missions that require a nuclear power source (such as the ASRG) Boat ! Award funding for 6 to 8 six-month detailed mission concept studies. U of Arizona, USGS, SWRI, ! Evaluate these mission concepts to inform decision to expand the mission capabilities of the Discovery and Mars 3 Io Io Volcano Observer (IVO) Dr Alfred McEwen Physikalisches Institut Scout programs to include radioisotope power systems. Fly-Bys ! Groundrules 11 Trojan ASRG-Enabled Trojan Dr Andrew Rivkin JHU/APL, GRC, SETI Institute ! Studies are expected to be led by a scientist serving as Principal Investigator (PI) with a small science team Lander Asteroid Mission (Ilion) ! Mission design is a critical part of these studies to make trades, explore feasibility, & refine the mission concept ! Mission design expertise will be offered from JPL’s Team-X and GSFC IDC 21 Comet Comet Hopper (CHopper) Dr Jessica Sunshine U of Maryland, Cornell, Smithsonian Inst, UWa-Seatle, UTx-Austin, LM ! Short proposals (7 pages) are solicited that clearly summarize : Lander ! The mission concept, 2 Comet Comet Coma Sample Return Dr Scott Sandford ARC, U of Central FL, U of Md, ! Science target(s) and objectives, Lockheed Martin Sample Return Mission ! Relevance to NASA objectives and Decadal Survey science objectives, ! Nature of the science advancement expected from the mission.