Effect of NTP technology levels on engine sizing for a 2005 piloted Mars mission

Conference · Sun Jan 10 00:00:00 EST 1993 · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.43174· OSTI ID:5661351

Burr, A D; Cross, E H; Widman, Jr, F W; North, D M ^[1]

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1. Rockwell International, Rocketdyne Division, Mail Stop IB63, 6633 Canoga Avenue, Canoga Park, California 91303 (United States)

Previous vehicle mass studies were performed for Mars launch windows in the 2010--2018 time frame. Within the last year, a study was performed to determine the effects of various Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) engine and mission parameters on Initial Mass in Low Earth Orbit (MLEO) for a piloted Mars mission during the 2005 opportunity. Particle Bed Reactor (PBR) and Enabler-type reactors were compared. Parameters evaluated included engine thrust, number of engines, number of Trans-Mars Injection (TMI) burns, engine thrust/weight, engine out capability, engine burn time, and I[sub sp]. Earth and Mars departure dates and outbound and return travel times were optimized for a 240-day total interplanetary transfer time (long-duration stay mission). Parameters which were seen to reduce IMLEO included a greater number of perigee burns, multiple engines, and higher I[sub sp]. Optimum engine thrust varied substantially depending on the configuration. Engine models developed jointly by Rocketdyne and Westinghouse within the last year formed the basis for the Enabler thrust optimization study.

• OSTI ID: 5661351
• Report Number(s): CONF-930103-; CODEN: APCPCS
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States), Vol. 271:1; Conference: 10. symposium on space nuclear power and propulsion, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 10-14 Jan 1993; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
MARS SPACE PROBES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
MISSION ANALYSIS
SPACE VEHICLES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THRUSTERS
EVALUATION
MOBILE REACTORS
POWER REACTORS
PROPULSION REACTORS
REACTORS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
VEHICLES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
210600* - Power Reactors
Auxiliary
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& Transportable