NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Development Unit Configuration and Current Status of the MIP/MTERC ExperimentThe Mars In-Situ Propellant Production (ISPP) Precursor (MIP) experiment package is planned for inclusion on the Mars 2001 Lander. This experiment package consists of five experiments whose purpose is to demonstrate the performance of various ISPP processes in-situ on Mars. The demonstrated ability to produce propellant for Mars Return Vehicles (MRV) is considered to be a necessary precursor to any future manned mission to Mars. The Mars Thermal Environment/Radiator Characterization (MTERC) experiment is part of the MIP package and is intended to determine the Mars night sky temperature as well as to characterize the performance degradation of radiators caused by environmental exposure on Mars over time. Radiators are needed as part of the ISPP process to remove heat from the Mars Atmosphere Acquisition and Compression (MAAC) CO2 sorption compressor. MTERC will provide the data needed to optimize the design of radiators for ISPP and other processes. A MTERC Development Unit (DU) has been fabricated and tested at JPL. The MTERC DU consists of 1) a radiator subassembly, 2) a motor/cover subassembly, 3) a differential temperature control circuit and motor control electronics circuit board, and 4) a command and data handling electronics circuit board. This paper will describe the operational theory and the configuration of the MTERC DU and will discuss the current status of the MTERC experiment development including some selected results of performance testing that has been completed prior to the ISRU III meeting.
Document ID
19990042253
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Juanero, K. J.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)
Johnson, K. R.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1999
Publication Information
Publication: In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU 3) Technical Interchange Meeting: Abstracts
Subject Category
Propellants And Fuels
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available