PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON ELECTRICAL PROPULSION SYSTEMS FOR SPACE TRAVEL
A brief description of the flight mechanics of both low and high acceleration for interplanetary missions is presented. It is shown that the low acceleration systems pay a large penalty in total momentum change requirements. An optimitation procedure for low acceleration systems is given which leads to a simple relationshisp between mission requirements, payload fraction, power pkant specfic power, and exhaust velocity. The energy limitation for electric propulsion systems utilizing a nuclear energy source is described and shown to give an upper limit to the mission of about 2 x 10/sup 5/ m/sec for current technology. It is shown that electric propulsion systems with a specfic power capability of 0.1 kw/kg can complete favorably with chemical or hent exchanger type nuclear hydrogen rockets for the Mars mission and are much superior for missions to the cuter planets. The hardware problems associated with the attainment of a specfic power of 0.1 kw/kg for an electric propulsion system are described. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- California. Univ., Livermore. Radiation Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- NSA Number:
- NSA-12-017441
- OSTI ID:
- 4287621
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-5355-T
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-58
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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