MISSION CAPABILITIES OF ION ENGINES. Phase II--Final Report

Technical Report · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1962

OSTI ID:4749238

London, H S; Edelbaum, T N; Gobetz, F W

Payloads and mission times were calculated for space vehlcles propelled by ion rockets using nuclear power supplies having specific weights from 10 to 50 lb/kw. Missions studied include low-altitude lunar satellite, low-altitude Venus sateilite, solar probe, Saturn probe, and a Jupiter satellite with a circular orbit at the altitude of Juplter's fourth moon. The variation of payload with the ratio of power supply weight to gross weight was studied and the optimum power levels thereby determlned. The ion rocket payload capabilities were compared with those of high-thrust vehicles using H/sub 2/-O/sub 2/ rockets and W- core nuclear rockets. The performance of high- and low-thrust systems staged in combination was also investigated. Launch vehicles considered in this study were the AtlasCentaur, the Saturn C-1, and the Saturn C-5. (auth)

• Research Organization: United Aircraft Corp. Research Labs., East Hartford, Conn.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-015513
• OSTI ID: 4749238
• Report Number(s): N62-11131
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

HYDROGEN
IONS
JETS
JUPITER
LEVELS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MATHEMATICS
MOON
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
ORBITS
OXYGEN
PAYLOAD
PLANETS
POWER PLANTS
PROPULSION
REACTOR CORE
ROCKETS
SATELLITES
SPACE APPLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY
SPACE FLIGHT
SPACE VEHICLES
TUNGSTEN
VENUS