Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Near earth electric propulsion transfers with SP 100

Conference · · AIAA Pap.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6032887
This paper compares the SP 100 nuclear power supply with other options for application to electric propulsion missions in the near earth region. Orbit transfer is heavily emphasized, especially the LEO/GEO trip. Comparisons are made with a smaller nuclear power supply, and with both conventional and advanced solar cells. Alternative concepts which are not, strictly speaking, electric propulsion, such as nuclear thermal and solar thermal propulsion, are also examined. In the first part of the paper results are given for the one way LEO/GEO transfer, in the form of payload vs trip time, and as the rate of cargo delivery. Here, the solar and nuclear thermal propulsion appears to outperform all the electric propulsion devices. As the mission difficulty is increased to LEO/GEO round trips, the preference for electric propulsion systems is reestablished. 5 references.
Research Organization:
Scionics, Inc., Derwood, MD
OSTI ID:
6032887
Report Number(s):
AIAA-Paper-8-0987; CONF-870558-
Conference Information:
Journal Name: AIAA Pap.; (United States)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English