NASA in-Space Propulsion Technologies and Their Infusion Potential

Anderson, David J.; Pencil, Eric; Peterson, Todd; Vento, D. M.; Munk, Michelle M.; Glaab, Louis J.; Dankanich, John

doi:10.2514/6.2012-4288

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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“…ASA's In-Space Propulsion Technology Program (ISPT) is developing several critical technologies that can decrease mass, flight duration and cost to significantly enhance or enable planetary science missions. Design 1 Senior Research Scientist, Thermal Protection Materials Branch, MS 234-1, NASA Ames Research Center, AIAA Sr. Member.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Entry Vehicle Technology (EVT) project under the ISPT program includes development and maturation of the aerocapture phase; a process of slowing down the vehicle by using the entry atmosphere and placing it into an orbit. 1,2 To mature aerocapture technology, a study was conducted in 2006 for ISPT program to identify the space environments and their potential effects on an aerocapture vehicle. The results from that study identified micrometeoroids hits to the vehicle, cold soak experienced during a deep space interplanetary cruise, ionizing radiation due to solar flares, and atmospheric entry heating as the severe environments that an aerocapture vehicle may need to endure and survive 3,4 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Arcjet Testing of Micro-Meteoroid Impacted Thermal Protection Materials

Agrawal

Munk

Glaab

2013

44th AIAA Thermophysics Conference

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There are several harsh space environments that could affect thermal protection systems and in turn pose risks to the atmospheric entry vehicles. These environments include micrometeoroid impact, extreme cold temperatures, and ionizing radiation during deep space cruise, all followed by atmospheric entry heating. To mitigate these risks, different thermal protection material samples were subjected to multiple tests, including hyper velocity impact, cold soak, irradiation, and arcjet testing, at various NASA facilities that simulated these environments. The materials included a variety of honeycomb packed ablative materials as well as carbon-based non-ablative thermal protection systems. The present paper describes the results of the multiple test campaign with a focus on arcjet testing of thermal protection materials. The tests showed promising results for ablative materials. However, the carbon-based non-ablative system presented some concerns regarding the potential risks to an entry vehicle. This study provides valuable information regarding the capability of various thermal protection materials to withstand harsh space environments, which is critical to sample return and planetary entry missions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%