Comparison of a tethered to a zero-gravity refueling facilityThe space-based orbital transfer vehicle will require a large cryogenic fuel storage facility at the Space Station. An alternative to fuel storage on-board the Space Station is on a tethered orbital refueling facility (TORF) which is separated from the Space Station by a sufficient distance to induce a gravity gradient to settle the propellants. Overall costs and benefits of a particular tethered facility design have been defined relative to a representative zero-gravity facility on the Space Station. Results indicate that the TORF hardware and operations costs are roughly 40 percent higher than the comparable zero-g facility costs. The cost difference is negligible when compared to the launch cost of the fuel over the facility 10-year lifetime.
Document ID
19870026782
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Kiefel, E. R. (Martin Marietta Corp. Denver, CO, United States)
Rudolph, L. K. (Martin Marietta Corp. Denver, CO, United States)
Fester, D. A. (Martin Marietta Corp. Denver, CO, United States)