Safety Test Program Summary SNAP 19 Pioneer Heat Source Safety Program
Sixteen heat source assemblies have been tested in support of the SNAP 19 Pioneer Safety Test Program. Seven were subjected to simulated reentry heating in various plasma arc facilities followed by impact on earth or granite. Six assemblies were tested under abort accident conditions of overpressure, shrapnel impact, and solid and liquid propellant fires. Three capsules were hot impacted under Transit capsule impact conditions to verify comparability of test results between the two similar capsule designs, thus utilizing both Pioneer and Transit Safety Test results to support the Safety Analysis Report for Pioneer. The tests have shown the fuel is contained under all nominal accident environments with the exception of minor capsule cracks under severe impact and solid fire environments. No catastrophic capsule failures occurred in this test which would release large quantities of fuel. In no test was fuel visible to the eye following impact or fire. Breached capsules were defined as those which exhibit thoria contamination on its surface following a test, or one which exhibited visible cracks in the post test metallographic analyses.
- Research Organization:
- Teledyne Isotopes, Timonium, MD (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE NE Office of Space and Defense Power Systems (NE-75)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT(29-2)-2873
- OSTI ID:
- 1079788
- Report Number(s):
- INSD-2873-71; Orbital ID: 6347; Call #05-05
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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