DOCSLIB.ORG

FISSION FRAGMENT ROCKET: Fuel Production and Structural Considerations Pauli Erik Laine FLYING on a RAINBOW a Solar-Driven Diffractive Sailcraft Grover A

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
FISSION FRAGMENT ROCKET: Fuel Production and Structural Considerations Pauli Erik Laine FLYING on a RAINBOW a Solar-Driven Diffractive Sailcraft Grover A Journal of the British Interplanetary Society VOLUME 71 NO.4 APRIL 2018 Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop PULSED MAGNETIC NOZZLE for Fusion Propulsion Jason Cassibry et al FISSION FRAGMENT ROCKET: Fuel Production and Structural Considerations Pauli Erik Laine FLYING ON A RAINBOW A Solar-Driven Diffractive Sailcraft Grover A. Swartzlander, Jr. EVALUATION OF THE HAZARD OF DUST IMPACTS on Interstellar Spacecraft Richard A. London & James T. Early A SCIENCE-DRIVEN MISSION CONCEPT to an Exoplanet Stacy Weinstein-Weiss et al CONTACT WITH ALIEN BIOMES: Possible Biochemical Incompatibilities Kenneth Roy & Catherine Smith www.bis-space.com ISSN 0007-084X PUBLICATION DATE: 23 NOVEMBER 2018 Submitting papers International Advisory Board to JBIS JBIS welcomes the submission of technical Rachel Armstrong, Newcastle University, UK papers for publication dealing with technical Peter Bainum, Howard University, USA reviews, research, technology and engineering in astronautics and related fields. Stephen Baxter, Science & Science Fiction Writer, UK James Benford, Microwave Sciences, California, USA Text should be: James Biggs, The University of Strathclyde, UK ■ As concise as the content allows – typically 5,000 to 6,000 words. Shorter papers (Technical Notes) Anu Bowman, Foundation for Enterprise Development, California, USA will also be considered; longer papers will only Gerald Cleaver, Baylor University, USA be considered in exceptional circumstances – for Charles Cockell, University of Edinburgh, UK example, in the case of a major subject review. Ian A. Crawford, Birkbeck College London, UK ■ Source references should be inserted in the text in square brackets – [1] – and then listed at the Adam Crowl, Icarus Interstellar, Australia end of the paper. Eric W. Davis, Institute for Advanced Studies at Austin, USA ■ Illustration references should be cited in Kathryn Denning, York University, Toronto, Canada numerical order in the text; those not cited in the Martyn Fogg, Probability Research Group, UK text risk omission. Raghavan Gopalaswami, Aerospace Researcher, India ■ Captions must be labelled with their Fig. number and should be as short as possible. Lamartine Guimarães, Institute for Advanced Studies, Brazil Mark Hempsell, Hempsell Astronautics Ltd, UK Illustrations should be: Takuto Ishimatsu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA ■ Colour or mono, but should be as close to print Les Johnson, Marshall Space Flight Center, USA resolution (300 dpi) as possible. Poor-quality illustrations may compromise the acceptance of Terry Kammash, University of Michigan, USA paper for publication. Images embedded in Word Kelvin F. Long, Initiative for Interstellar Studies documents may be acceptable, but JBIS reserves Inoue Makoto, Institute of Astronomy & Astrophysics Academia Sinica, Taiwan the right to request separate higher-resolution Gregory L. Matloff, City University New York, USA image files from the author prior to publication. Koichi Mori, Nagoya University, Japan ■ Responsibility for copyright clearance of images rests entirely with the author. Richard Obousy, Richard Obousy Consulting LLC, USA Robert Parkinson, BIS, Aylesbury, UK Submission of papers George Schmidt, NASA John H Glenn Research Center, Ohio, USA ■ Papers for consideration should be sent by Paul Schuch, The SETI League Inc, USA email to [email protected] as both a Word document and as a Word PDF file (in order to Tabitha Smith, Bifrost, USA check for font anomalies), together with any Andreas Tziolas, Variance Dynamical Corporation, USA separate image files. Chris Welch, The International Space University, Strasbourg, France ■ If a paper is accepted for publication, the Friedwardt Winterberg, University of Nevada, Reno, USA author will be asked to sign a License to Publish form. This can be downloaded at www.bis- space.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ WebsiteLicense.pdf. ■ Authors will receive a complimentary copy of the issue in which their paper appears. Editor Roger Longstaff Deputy Editor Duncan Law-Green Associate Editors Stephen Ashworth, We respectfully ask authors to adhere to these Keith Cooper, Stephen Gamble, Paul Gilster, Rob Swinney, Production MP3 Media guidelines. Failure to do so will result in the Promotion Gill Norman JBIS Office British Interplanetary Society, Arthur C. Clarke House, delay of acceptable papers for publication. 27-29 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1SZ, United Kingdom tel +44 (0)20 7735 3160 email [email protected] www.bis-space.com Our full Guidelines for Authors can be downloaded DISTRIBUTION from www.bis-space.com JBIS is distributed worldwide by mail and may be received by annual subscription or purchase of single copies. It is available through membership of the British Interplanetary Society at much reduced rates. Subscription details for members, non-members and libraries are available from the above address. JBIS is a publication that promotes the mission of the British Interplanetary Society. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or the Council of the British Interplanetary Society. Security clearance, where necessary, is the responsibility of the author. Published by the British Interplanetary Society. Registered Company No: 402498. Registered Charity No: 250556. Printed by Latimer Trend & Company Ltd, Estover Road, Plymouth, PL6 7PY, England. © 2018 British Interplanetary Society. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission from the Publishers. CONTENTS VOLUME 71 NO.4 APRIL 2018 118 INTRODUCTION Tracie Prater and Les Johnson 119 PULSED MAGNETIC NOZZLE for Fusion Propulsion Jason Cassibry et al 126 FISSION FRAGMENT ROCKET: Fuel Production and Structural Considerations Pauli Erik Laine 130 FLYING ON A RAINBOW A Solar-Driven Diffractive Sailcraft Grover A. Swartzlander, Jr. 133 EVALUATION OF THE HAZARD OF DUST IMPACTS on Interstellar Spacecraft Richard A. London & James T. Early 140 A SCIENCE-DRIVEN MISSION CONCEPT to an Exoplanet Stacy Weinstein-Weiss et al 150 CONTACT WITH ALIEN BIOMES: Possible Biochemical Incompatibilities Kenneth Roy & Catherine Smith OUR MISSION STATEMENT The British Interplanetary Society promotes the exploration and use of space for the benefit of humanity, connecting people to create, educate and inspire, and advance knowledge in all aspects of astronautics. JBIS Vol 71 No.4 April 2018 117 INTRODUCTION Introduction by TRACIE PRATER1 and LES JOHNSON2, 1Materials scientist at NASA’s George C. Marshall Flight Center and presenter at the TVIW; 2General Chair of the TVIW, and Principal Investigator of NASA’s first interplanetary solar sail mission, Near Earth Asteroid Scout. “All civilizations become either spacefaring or extinct.” – CARL SAGAN f all the journeys the human species has imagined plasma environment. Other papers consider laser-driven light- in the course of its 100,000 year history, none is sails as a proposed propulsive technique for interstellar travel. longer, more daunting, and more fraught with In “Flying on a Rainbow: A Solar Driven Diffractive Sailcraft”, technical and physiological challenges than the Grover Swartzlander offers an alternative to the traditional sail Ojourney to the stars. From our earth-based per- design, which uses highly reflective materials, by proposing an spective, interstellar space begins where the influence of our active diffractive sail surface. Absorption is significantly -re Sun ends. The boundary is marked by a sharp increase in the duced and transmitted photons can be re-used or exploited to density of plasma far beyond levels observed in the heliosphere provide energy for craft subsystems. (the region where the solar wind – the flow of charged parti- cles from the sun – is present) and the heliosheath (the outer- Regardless of the propulsion technique used, an interstel- most shell of charged particles emanating from the sun). This lar craft must be able to survive the harsh environment of the space between stars has to date been traversed only by a single interstellar medium. Richard London’s “Evaluation of the Haz- human-made probe, Voyager 1, which left the heliosheath in ard of Dust Impacts on Interstellar Spacecraft” examines the 2012 after 36 years of operation. The significance of Voyager 1 impact of space environmental effects on a craft traveling at is immense – quite simply, it represents humanity’s first, small a fraction of the speed of light in the region beyond the heli- step into the interstellar medium. Moving at 17 km/s, the probe osheath. London simulates the collision of energetic interstellar continues its journey at only 0.006 percent of the speed of light. dust grains with structures of varying thickness and, based on these analyses, offers design strategies to mitigate damage. Held 40 years after the launch of Voyager 1, the October 2017 meeting of the Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop Another paper presents system-level analyses of interstellar (TVIW), with its theme of “Step by Step: Building a Ladder to missions. Stacy Weinstein-Weiss’s “A Science Driven Mission the Stars”, emphasized the small steps that will one day pave Concept to an Exoplanet” designs an interstellar mission with the way for monumental interstellar missions. TVIW is a non- science requirements as the preeminent consideration. In mis- profit organization with a goal of facilitating research,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Breakthrough Propulsion Study Assessing Interstellar Flight Challenges and Prospects
    Breakthrough Propulsion Study Assessing Interstellar Flight Challenges and Prospects NASA Grant No. NNX17AE81G First Year Report Prepared by: Marc G. Millis, Jeff Greason, Rhonda Stevenson Tau Zero Foundation Business Office: 1053 East Third Avenue Broomfield, CO 80020 Prepared for: NASA Headquarters, Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Washington, DC 20546 June 2018 Millis 2018 Grant NNX17AE81G_for_CR.docx pg 1 of 69 ABSTRACT Progress toward developing an evaluation process for interstellar propulsion and power options is described. The goal is to contrast the challenges, mission choices, and emerging prospects for propulsion and power, to identify which prospects might be more advantageous and under what circumstances, and to identify which technology details might have greater impacts. Unlike prior studies, the infrastructure expenses and prospects for breakthrough advances are included. This first year's focus is on determining the key questions to enable the analysis. Accordingly, a work breakdown structure to organize the information and associated list of variables is offered. A flow diagram of the basic analysis is presented, as well as more detailed methods to convert the performance measures of disparate propulsion methods into common measures of energy, mass, time, and power. Other methods for equitable comparisons include evaluating the prospects under the same assumptions of payload, mission trajectory, and available energy. Missions are divided into three eras of readiness (precursors, era of infrastructure, and era of breakthroughs) as a first step before proceeding to include comparisons of technology advancement rates. Final evaluation "figures of merit" are offered. Preliminary lists of mission architectures and propulsion prospects are provided.
    [Show full text]
  • MULTIPHYSICS DESIGN and SIMULATION of a TUNGSTEN-CERMET NUCLEAR THERMAL ROCKET a Thesis by BRAD APPEL Submitted to the Office O
    MULTIPHYSICS DESIGN AND SIMULATION OF A TUNGSTEN-CERMET NUCLEAR THERMAL ROCKET A Thesis by BRAD APPEL Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE August 2012 Major Subject: Nuclear Engineering Multiphysics Design and Simulation of a Tungsten-Cermet Nuclear Thermal Rocket Copyright 2012 Brad Appel ii MULTIPHYSICS DESIGN AND SIMULATION OF A TUNGSTEN-CERMET NUCLEAR THERMAL ROCKET A Thesis by BRAD APPEL Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Approved by: Chair of Committee, Karen Vierow Committee Members, Shannon Bragg-Sitton Paul Cizmas Head of Department, Yassin Hassan August 2012 Major Subject: Nuclear Engineering iii iii ABSTRACT Multiphysics Design and Simulation of a Tungsten-Cermet Nuclear Thermal Rocket. (August 2012) Brad Appel, B.S., Purdue University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Karen Vierow The goal of this research is to apply modern methods of analysis to the design of a tungsten-cermet Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) core. An NTR is one of the most viable propulsion options for enabling piloted deep-space exploration. Concerns over fuel safety have sparked interest in an NTR core based on tungsten-cermet fuel. This work investigates the capability of modern CFD and neutronics codes to design a cermet NTR, and makes specific recommendations for the configuration of channels in the core. First, the best CFD practices available from the commercial package Star-CCM+ are determined by comparing different modeling options with a hot-hydrogen flow experiment.
    [Show full text]
  • Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox
    Interstellar Travel If aliens haven’t visited us, could we go to them? In this lecture we will have some fun speculating about future interstellar travel by humans. Please keep in mind that, as we discussed earlier, this cannot be considered a solution for the problems that we have on Earth, for the simple reason that the expense per person is utterly prohibitive and will remain so in any conceivable future scenario. Nonetheless, given enough time it could be that we have the capacity to move out into the galaxy. Incidentally, we will leave discussions of really far-out concepts such as wormholes to a future class. Interstellar distances The major barrier to interstellar travel is the staggering distance between stars. The closest one to the Sun is Proxima Centauri, which is 4.3 light years away but not a likely host to planets. There are, however, a few possibilities within roughly 10 light years, so that is a good target. How far is 10 light years? By definition it is how far light travels in 10 years, but let’s put this into a more familiar context. A moderately brisk walking pace is 5 km/hr, and since one light year is about 10 trillion kilometers, you would need about 20 trillion hours, or about 2.3 billion years, to walk that distance. The fastest cars sold commercially go about 400 km/hr, so you would need about three billion hours or a bit less than thirty million years. The speed of the Earth in its orbit, which is comparable to the speed of the fastest spacecraft we have constructed (all unmanned, of course), is about 30 km/s and even at that rate it would take about a hundred thousand years to travel ten light years.
    [Show full text]
  • Interstellar Travel Or Even 1.3 Mlbs at Launch
    Terraforming Mars: By Aliens? Astronomy 330 •! Sometime movies are full of errors. •! But what can you do? Music: Rocket Man– Elton John Online ICES Question •! ICES forms are available online, so far 39/100 Are you going to fill out an ICES form before the students have completed it. deadline? •! I appreciate you filling them out! •! Please make sure to leave written comments. I a)! Yes, I did it already. find these comments the most useful, and typically b)! Yes, sometime today that’s where I make the most changes to the c)! Yes, this weekend course. d)! Yes, I promise to do it before the deadline of May6th! e)! No, I am way too lazy to spend 5 mins to help you or future students out. Final Final •! In this classroom, Fri, May 7th, 0800-1100. •! A normal-sized sheet of paper with notes on both •! Will consist of sides is allowed. –! 15 question on Exam 1 material. •! Exam 1and 2 and last year’s final are posted on –! 15 question on Exam 2 material. class website (not Compass). –! 30 questions from new material (Lect 20+). –! +4 extra credit questions •! I will post a review sheet Friday. •! A total of 105 points, i.e. 5 points of extra credit. •! Final Exam grade is based on all three sections. •! If Section 1/2 grade is higher than Exam 1/2 grade, then it will replace your Exam 1/2 grade. Final Papers Outline •! Final papers due at BEGINNING of discussion •! Rockets: how to get the most bang for the buck.
    [Show full text]
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • Nuts and Nukes
    Fast Rides Uses of Fusion for Space Propulsion Systems Basic Idea of a Rocket • F = m (d/dt) p • Rocket equation: vf = u ln(Mi/Mf) (non-relativistic) • So, higher exhaust velocity is better Vrms ~ 10^3 m/s (N2 @ 1000K) Vfus ~ .086 C (He4 @ 3.5 MeV) C = 3 x 10^8 m/s 3 types of nuclear rockets • Nuclear electric, NEP --- Generate electricity to run another drive, e.g. ion, photonic (Sanger, others). • Nuclear thermal, NTP --- heat a secondary reaction mass. • Direct nuclear thrust --- use the fusion products as reaction mass. Nuclear Thermal Projects • Feynman: 1940’s ($1 patent) • NERVA: 1956 – 1971 • GSCR: 1960’s • Still viewed by some as engine for Mars transport (Boeing-NASA study 1990) Project NERVA/Rover • 1956 --- 1971 • USA (Los Alamos and other locations) • 250,000 lbs. thrust (best) • Never launched in space; lab work only. • Several projects under ROVER. http://www.sti.nasa.gov/Pubs/Bulletin/04julypub/hist.html Courtesy of NASA. Project PROMETHEUS • NASA 2003 --- designs for the new Space Exploration Vision • Fission NTP, NEP engines. • Uncertainty over how much longer it will stay around. Nuclear thrust rockets • Fusion reaction directly contributes to thrust. • Origin in Project ORION • Project Daedalus --- 1970’s, UK • Bussard ramjet • Mixed with plasma rocket (along lines of VASIMR) Project Orion • Nuclear explosion pulse drive • Read: blow bombs up behind the ship. Try not to blow the ship up, too. 1 per sec. • Plumbbob test – 1957. • High exhaust v with large force • Pusher plates -> continual 1-g accel! • Conventional explosion scale test success. ORION (con’t) • Plans for 4000-ton, 1 year round-trip to Pluto.
    [Show full text]
  • The Initiative and Institute for Interstellar Studies Issue 29 | May 2020
    PRINCIPIUM The Initiative and Institute for Interstellar Studies Issue 29 | May 2020 ISSN 2397-9127 www.i4is.org ■ Cassidy Cobbs - Bioscientist ■ Interstellar News ■ The Interstellar Ram Jet at 60 ■ IAC2019 the Interstellar Papers #3 ■ FAST radio telescope & Breakthrough Listen ■ Rings round exoplanets - possible megastructures R O ■ Mariner model part 2: The initial construction phase F E V ■ i4is Members Page I T A I ■ Freeman Dyson (1923-2020) T I N I ■ Feasibility of self-replicating probes for interstellar exploration ■ Book Review: Religions and Extraterrestrial Life S T U D I E S Scientia ad sidera Principium | Issue 29 | May 2020 1 Knowledge to the stars our own planet, see the review of Seveneves by Neil Stephenson in P20. Editorial Andreas Hein celebrates the life of Freeman Dyson Welcome to issue 29 of Principium, the quarterly (1923-2020), deviser of both profound mathematics about all things interstellar from i4is, the Initiative and mind boggling structures - and a founder and Institute for Interstellar Studies. member of our Advisory Council. The front cover image is a new visualisation of The book Religions and Extraterrestrial Life by a Bussard ramjet by an old friend and colleague, David Weintraub looks at the reaction we might Alex Storer (thelightdream.net). This year we mark expect to a successful SETI. John Davies reviews it the 60th anniversary of the publication of the paper and recommends it with a few reservations. Galactic Matter and Interstellar Flight by Robert China has built the gigantic FAST radio telescope. W Bussard (Acta Astronautica, VI, pp 179-195, We examine how this will work with the 1960), The distinguished spacecraft engineer and Breakthrough Listen SETI initiative.
    [Show full text]
  • Interstellar Travel Or Even • Can Relate Mass to Energy, I.E
    Carl Sagan Says Astronomy 330 • "These are some of the things Hydrogen atoms do, given 15 billion years of evolution" • "We are, in the most profound sense, children of the Cosmos" • "We are star stuff contemplating the stars“ • “Tell a man that there are 100 billion stars in our Next Class: Galaxy and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has This class (Lecture 26): Visitations ICES eval wet paint and he has to touch it .” Space Travel ICES eval Warning, not really Carl Sagan quote. HW 11 is due! Music: Space Race is Over – Billy Bragg Apr 22, 2008 Astronomy 330 Spring 2008 Apr 22, 2008 Astronomy 330 Spring 2008 Final Papers Final • Take home exam (will try to bring it on the 24 th ). • You must turn final paper in with the graded nd rough draft. • Must be dropped off no later than May 2 (noon) in my mailbox in astro building. • Unless you are happy with your rough draft grade • You are allowed 4 hours– must be typed. as you final paper grade, then email me to keep • Will consist of the grade. – 7 short answer questions (5-10 points each, 1 short paragraph) • Final paper is due on last day of class. – 2 short essays (15 points each, 2-3 paragraphs) – 2 large essay question (50 points each, 1-2 pages). • A total of 210 points graded out of 200 points. • A normal-sized sheet of paper with notes on both sides is allowed, but otherwise closed-book/lecture notes. Apr 22, 2008 Astronomy 330 Spring 2008 Apr 22, 2008 Astronomy 330 Spring 2008 Combustion Rocket Outline Terminology • Rockets: how to get the most bang for the buck.
    [Show full text]
  • Nuclear Thermal Propulsion for Advanced Space Exploration M. G. Houts, S
    Nuclear Thermal Propulsion for Advanced Space Exploration M. G. Houts1, S. K. Borowski2, J. A. George3, T. Kim1, W. J. Emrich1, R. R. Hickman1, J. W. Broadway1, H. P. Gerrish1, R. B. Adams1. 1NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, MSFC, AL 35812, 2NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, 44135, 3NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, 77058 Overview have the potential for providing even higher specific impulses. The fundamental capability of Nuclear Ther- mal Propulsion (NTP) is game changing for Many factors would affect the development space exploration. A first generation Nuclear of a 21st century nuclear thermal rocket Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (NCPS) based on (NTR). Test facilities built in the US during NTP could provide high thrust at a specific Project Rover are no longer available. How- impulse above 900 s, roughly double that of ever, advances in analytical techniques, the state of the art chemical engines. Characteris- ability to utilize or adapt existing facilities tics of fission and NTP indicate that useful and infrastructure, and the ability to develop a first generation systems will provide a foun- limited number of new test facilities may en- dation for future systems with extremely high able a viable development, qualification, and performance. The role of the NCPS in the acceptance testing strategy for NTP. Alt- development of advanced nuclear propulsion hough fuels developed under Project Rover systems could be analogous to the role of the had good performance, advances in materials DC-3 in the development of advanced avia- and manufacturing techniques may enable tion. Progress made under the NCPS project even higher performance fuels.
    [Show full text]
  • A Science-Driven Mission Concept to an Exoplanet
    A Science-Driven Mission Concept to an Exoplanet Stacy Weinstein-Weiss1, Marc Rayman1, Slava Turyshev1, Abhijit Biswass1, Insoo Jun1, Hoppy Price1, Eric Mamajek1, John Callas1, Tim McElrath1, Dave Woerner1, John Brophy1, Mike Shao1, Leon Alkalai1, Nitin Arora1, Les Johnson2, Merav Opher3, Seth Redfield4, Ralph McNutt5, Carol Stoker6, Jennifer Blank6, Douglas Caldwell7, Louis Friedman8, Robert Frisbee8, Gary Bennett8 1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 2 NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Redstone Arsenal Huntsville, AL 35812 3 Boston University, 1 Silber Way, Boston, MA 02215 4 Wesleyan University, 45 Wyllys Ave, Middletown, CT 06459 5 Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd, Laurel, MD 20723 6 NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94035 7 SETI Institute, 189 N Bernardo Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043 8 Consultant A concept for a science-driven robotic mission to an exoplanet was developed by a team of scientists and engineers from NASA and academia. The concept and scope were based on key mission and science requirements designed to address the question: “What makes a flight mission to an exoplanet compelling, in terms of science return, compared to what we will be able to learn in the next few decades with large near-Earth telescopes or other remote sensing techniques such as a telescope at the Solar Gravity Lens Focus?” By thinking systematically through mission and science goals and objectives, key requirements were developed that would drive technology developments in all necessary aspects, not just on propulsion. Unique science measurements would be performed en route to the exoplanet, including exploring the environment in the outer regions of our solar system, the Oort Cloud, the local interstellar medium, and the astrospheric environment around the host star.
    [Show full text]
  • Iaa Commission Iii Sg 2 – Nuclear Space Power and Propulsion
    IAA COMMISSION III SG 2 – NUCLEAR SPACE POWER AND PROPULSION M. Auweter-Kurtz C. Bruno D. Fearn H. Kurtz T.J. Lawrence R.X. Lenard List of contents Introduction 8 1. Physics of Nuclear Propulsion – An Introduction 11 1.1. ABSTRACT 11 1.2. Introduction 11 1.3. Fundamental Physics 12 1.3.1. Forces 12 1.4. Propulsion 19 1.4.3. Power 23 1.4.4. Mass 25 1.5. Nuclear Propulsion Strategies 27 1.5.1. Nuclear Thermal Rockets (NTR) 27 1.5.2. Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) 31 1.5.3. A Comparison between Chemical and NTR/NEP Isp 32 1.6. Massless (Photonic) Propulsion 33 1.7. Conclusions 34 1.8. References 35 2. Nulcear Thermal Rocket Propulsion Systems 38 2.1. ABSTRACT 38 2.2. Introduction 38 2.3. System Configuration and Operation 41 2.4. Particle-Bed Reactor 46 2.4.1. CERMET 47 2.5. Safety 49 2.6. MagOrion and Mini-MagOrion 51 2.7. Conclusions 53 2.8. References 54 3. The application of ion thrusters to high thrust, high specific impulse nuclear-electric missions 57 3.1. ABSTRACT 57 3.2. Introduction 60 3.3. Background 62 3.3.1. Space Nuclear Programmes 62 2 3.3.2. Advantages of Electric Propulsion 63 3.3.3. Propulsion System Parameters 64 3.3.4. Propulsion Technology Review 66 3.3.4.1. Gridded Ion Engines 66 3.3.4.2. The Hall-Effect Thruster 69 3.3.4.3. Magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) Thrusters 71 3.3.4.4. Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) 72 3.4.
    [Show full text]