Space Station tethered refueling facility operationsThe space-based orbital transfer vehicle will require a large cryogenic fuel storage facility at the Space Station. An alternative to fuel storage onboard 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. Facility operations are a major concern associated with a tethered LO2/LH2 storage depot. A study was carried out to analyze these operations so as to identify the preferred TORF deployment direction (up or down) and whether the TORF should be permanently or intermittently deployed. The analyses considered safety, contamination, rendezvous, servicing, transportation rate, communication, and viewing. An upwardly, intermittently deployed facility is the preferred configuration for a tethered cryogenic fuel storage.
Document ID
19860058008
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Kiefel, E. R. (Martin Marietta Aerospace Denver, CO, United States)
Rudolph, L. K. (Martin Marietta Aerospace Denver, CO, United States)
Fester, D. A. (Martin Marietta Corp. Denver, CO, United States)