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Mars Molniya Orbit Atmospheric Resource Mining NIAC FY16: Mars Molniya Orbit Atmospheric Resource Mining Final Phase I Report: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Mars Molniya Orbit Atmospheric Resource Mining FY 16 NIAC Phase I Project Robert P. Mueller, Principal Investigator NASA Swamp Works Laboratory Mail Code: UB-R1 Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899 E-mail: [email protected] Brandon Sforzo, PhD, Co-Investigator Space Systems Design Laboratory Georgia Institute of Technology 270 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30331 E-mail: [email protected] Robert D. Braun, PhD, Co-Investigator Space Systems Design Laboratory Georgia Institute of Technology 270 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30331 E-mail: [email protected] Laurent Sibille, PhD, PMP, Co-Investigator Swamp Works Laboratory Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899 E-mail: [email protected] FEBRUARY 2017 Public Release Is Authorized 1 NIAC FY16: Mars Molniya Orbit Atmospheric Resource Mining EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase I study examined the revolutionary concept of performing resource collection and utilization during Mars orbital operations in order to enable the landing of large payloads. An exploration architecture was developed, out of which several mission alternatives were developed. Concepts of operations were then developed for each mission alternative, followed by concepts for spacecraft systems, which were traded to assess their feasibility. NIAC Mars Atmospheric Gas Resources Collector Vehicle (RCV) stack during an aerobraking CO2 collection pass in the upper atmosphere. The vehicle produces O2 to fuel a Mars Descent and Ascent Vehicle (MDAV), for descent to the surface and subsequent launch to high Mars orbit. A novel architecture using Mars Molniya Orbit Atmospheric Resource Mining is feasible to enable an Earth-independent and pioneering, permanent human presence on Mars by providing a reusable, single-stage-to-orbit transportation system. This will allow cargo and crew to be routinely delivered to and from Mars without transporting propellants from Earth. In Phase I, our study explored how electrical energy could be harnessed from the kinetic energy of the incoming spacecraft and then be used to produce the oxygen necessary for landing. This concept of operations is revolutionary in that its focus is on using in situ resources in complementary and varied forms: the upper atmosphere of Mars is used for aerocapture, which is followed by aerobraking, the kinetic energy of the spacecraft is transformed into usable electrical energy during aerobraking, and the atmospheric composition is the source of oxidizer for a landing under supersonic retropropulsion. 2 NIAC FY16: Mars Molniya Orbit Atmospheric Resource Mining This NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase I study explores a novel mission architecture to establish routine, Earth-independent transfer of large mass payloads between Earth and the Mars surface and back to Mars orbit. The first stage of routine mission operations involves an atmospheric resource mining aerobraking campaign following aerocapture into a highly elliptical Mars orbit. During each pass through the atmosphere, the vehicle ingests the atmospheric oxidizer and stores it onboard, using solid oxide electrolysis to convert the primarily CO2 atmosphere into usable O2 for propellant. Power is made available through the use of magnetohydrodynamic energy generation, which converts the motion of the plasma in the shock later into usable electrical energy. Upon termination of the aerobraking sequence, the descent vehicle detaches from the orbit stack, deorbits, and executes the entry, descent, and landing sequence. Hypersonic deceleration is achieved via a deployable heat shield to lower the vehicle ballistic coefficient, and supersonic and subsonic deceleration are achieved via retropropulsion. Mars surface operations involve resource mining of the Martian regolith to produce CH4 and O2 propellant to be used for the subsequent MDAV ascent back to high Mars orbit (HMO) providing an apoapsis raise maneuver to initialize the aerobraking sequence, in addition to providing fuel from the Mars surface for EDL propulsive descent. The Resource Collector Vehicle (RCV), which is used for the orbital mining operations, is raised back to HMO via onboard deployable augmented solar electric propulsion. Concepts of operations were developed for each mission alternative, to evaluate between them and assess feasibility. In Phase I, we showed that for a human-class mission, with 81 orbital scooping passes at 79 km altitude, with each atmospheric scoop varying in duration from 5.3 minutes to 7.1 minutes, at speeds ranging from 3.57 km/s to 4.5 km/s, approximately 431 kg of CO2 can be ingested per scooping pass at periapsis and compressed by a Resource Collector Vehicle (RCV) with a hypersonic ram-compression system. The total amount of CO2 captured and stored is approximately 34,939 kg. Because of the SOE chemical conversion process and other efficiency losses, this O2 product amounts to an estimated 20% of the captured CO2 mass—resulting in 6,986 kg of O2 for EDL propulsion to provide thrust for deorbit, reorientation for entry, supersonic retropropulsion (SRP), and propulsive precision landing. A concept was developed, and the scooping analysis indicates that it would be feasible, but more detailed analysis is required in Phase II to optimize this concept and work out details of the aerodynamics and compression thermodynamics This NASA Swamp Works/Georgia Tech team has established a first-order feasibility confirmation of the revolutionary concept of performing resource collection and utilization during orbital operations and enabling the landing of large payloads. 3 NIAC FY16: Mars Molniya Orbit Atmospheric Resource Mining CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ....................................................... 11 2. DESCRIPTION AND BENEFITS OF THE CONCEPT .................................. 14 2.1 Description of Orbital Resource Mining and Resource Utilization ................. 14 2.2 Architectural Advantages of Orbital Resource Mining and Resource Utilization ..................................................................................................... 14 3. STUDY APPROACH .................................................................................... 17 3.1 Phase I Study Work Plan ............................................................................. 17 3.2 Study Objectives .......................................................................................... 18 3.2.1 Objective 1: Examine Architecture Concepts ................................................ 18 3.2.2 Objective 2: Establish Feasibility of Mars Molniya Atmospheric Resource Mining .......................................................................................... 18 3.2.3 Objective 3: Develop Systems Models and Apply Iterative Design ............... 19 3.2.4 Objective 4: Develop a Technology Roadmap .............................................. 20 4. MISSION ARCHITECTURE AND CONCEPTS OF OPERATION................. 20 4.1 Ground Rules and Assumptions ................................................................... 20 4.1.1 Mission Design/ConOps ............................................................................... 21 4.1.2 ConOps ........................................................................................................ 23 4.1.2.1 Mission Architecture Elements ..................................................................... 23 4.1.2.2 Sample Return Mission ................................................................................ 25 4.1.2.3 Human-Crewed Mission to Mars .................................................................. 27 5. ANALYSIS METHODS AND MODELING..................................................... 30 5.1 Astrodynamics Model ................................................................................... 30 5.2 Mars Atmospheric Resource Mining Model .................................................. 35 5.2.1 Aerobraking and Atmospheric Resource Mining Simulation Algorithm ......... 35 5.2.2 Mars Sample Return Mission RCV Modeling Parameters ............................ 37 5.2.3 Human Mars Mission RCV Modeling Parameters ......................................... 37 5.2.4 Assumptions ................................................................................................ 38 5.2.5 Algorithm Characteristics ............................................................................. 38 5.2.6 Discussion .................................................................................................... 38 5.2.7 Mars Atmospheric Orbital ISRU Model ......................................................... 41 5.2.7.1 Solid-Oxide Electrolysis (SOE) ..................................................................... 42 5.2.7.1.1 MSR Reference Case – On-Orbit O2 Production .......................................... 44 5.2.7.1.2 Human Mission Reference Case – On-Orbit O2 Production .......................... 46 5.3 Magneto-Hydrodynamic (MHD) Model ......................................................... 46 5.3.1 General MHD Energy Generation, Faraday Type Flow Through .................. 47 5.3.2 Determining the Power Available for MHD Energy Generation During Aerobraking .................................................................................................. 47 5.4 Electrical Energy Storage Systems .............................................................
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