Nuclear reactor power for an electrically powered orbital transfer vehicle
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 (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States); Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 6129885
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-87-2003; CONF-870558-2; ON: DE87011775
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 19. international electric propulsion conference, Colorado Springs, CO, USA, 11 May 1987; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
42 ENGINEERING
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
SPACE POWER REACTORS
DESIGN
MISSION ANALYSIS
SPACE VEHICLES
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
COMMUNICATIONS
ION THRUSTERS
JETS
LITHIUM
PROPELLANTS
SPACE TRANSPORT
SPACE VEHICLE COMPONENTS
THERMOELECTRICITY
XENON
ALKALI METALS
ELECTRICITY
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
METALS
MOBILE REACTORS
NONMETALS
POWER REACTORS
RARE GASES
REACTORS
THRUSTERS
TRANSPORT
VEHICLES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
210600* - Power Reactors
Auxiliary
Mobile Package
& Transportable
420200 - Engineering- Facilities
Equipment
& Techniques
300300 - Thermoelectric Generators