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Technology Area Roadmap for In-Space Propulsion TechnologiesThe exponential increase of launch system size.and cost.with delta-V makes missions that require large total impulse cost prohibitive. Led by NASA fs Marshall Space Flight Center, a team from government, industry, and academia has developed a flight demonstration mission concept of an integrated electrodynamic (ED) tethered satellite system called PROPEL: \Propulsion using Electrodynamics.. The PROPEL Mission is focused on demonstrating a versatile configuration of an ED tether to overcome the limitations of the rocket equation, enable new classes of missions currently unaffordable or infeasible, and significantly advance the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) to an operational level. We are also focused on establishing a far deeper understanding of critical processes and technologies to be able to scale and improve tether systems in the future. Here, we provide an overview of the proposed PROPEL mission. One of the critical processes for efficient ED tether operation is the ability to inject current to and collect current from the ionosphere. Because the PROPEL mission is planned to have both boost and deboost capability using a single tether, the tether current must be capable of flowing in both directions and at levels well over 1 A. Given the greater mobility of electrons over that of ions, this generally requires that both ends of the ED tether system can both collect and emit electrons. For example, hollow cathode plasma contactors (HCPCs) generally are viewed as state-of-the-art and high TRL devices; however, for ED tether applications important questions remain of how efficiently they can operate as both electron collectors and emitters. Other technologies will be highlighted that are being investigated as possible alternatives to the HCPC such as Solex that generates a plasma cloud from a solid material (Teflon) and electron emission (only) technologies such as cold-cathode electron field emission or photo-electron beam generation (PEBG) techniques
Document ID
20120015032
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Johnson, Les
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Meyer, Michael
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Palaszewski, Bryan
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Coote, David
(NASA Stennis Space Center Stennis Space Center, MS, United States)
Goebel, Dan
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
White, Harold
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 26, 2013
Publication Date
May 22, 2012
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Report/Patent Number
M12-1798
M12-1836
Meeting Information
Meeting: Global Space Exploration Conference
Location: Washinton, DC
Country: United States
Start Date: May 22, 2012
End Date: May 24, 2012
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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