Nuclear reactor power for an electrically powered orbital transfer vehicle

Conference · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · AIAA Pap.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5983104

Jaffe, L; Beatty, R; Bhandari, P; Chow, E; Deininger, W; Ewell, R; Fujita, T; Grossman, M; Kia, T; Nesmith, B

To help determine the systems requirements for a 300-kWe space nuclear reactor power system, a mission and spacecraft have been examined which utilize electric propulsion and this nuclear reactor power for multiple transfers of cargo between low earth orbit (LEO) and geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO). A propulsion system employing ion thrusters and xenon propellant was selected. Propellant and thrusters are replaced after each sortie to GEO. The mass of the Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV), empty and dry, is 11,000 kg; nominal propellant load is 5000 kg. The OTV operates between a circular orbit at 925 km altitude, 28.5 deg inclination, and GEO. Cargo is brought to the OTV by Shuttle and an Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV); the OTV then takes it to GEO. The OTV can also bring cargo back from GEO, for transfer by OMV to the Shuttle. OTV propellant is resupplied and the ion thrusters are replaced by the OMV before each trip to GEO. At the end of mission life, the OTV's electric propulsion is used to place it in a heliocentric orbit so that the reactor will not return to earth. The nominal cargo capability to GEO is 6000 kg with a transit time of 120 days; 1350 kg can be transferred in 90 days, and 14,300 kg in 240 days. These capabilities can be considerably increased by using separate Shuttle launches to bring up propellant and cargo, or by changing to mercury propellant.

• Research Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
• OSTI ID: 5983104
• Report Number(s): AIAA-Paper-8-1102; CONF-870558-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AIAA Pap.; (United States)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
220800* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Propulsion Reactors
42 ENGINEERING
420200 -- Engineering-- Facilities
Equipment
& Techniques
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
ION THRUSTERS
MOBILE REACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NONMETALS
PERFORMANCE
POWER REACTORS
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
RARE GASES
REACTORS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
SPACE VEHICLES
SPECIFICATIONS
THRUSTERS
USES
VEHICLES
XENON