High-Power Electric Propulsion Enabling Support to the future Deep Space Gateway

NASA’s Glenn Research Center has been selected to lead development of NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) system. The central feature of the NEXT system is an electric propulsion thruster (EPT) that inherits the knowledge gained through the NSTAR thruster that successfully propelled Deep Space 1 to asteroid Braille and comet Borrelly, while significantly increasing the thruster power level and making improvements in performance parameters associated with NSTAR. The EPT concept under development has a 40 cm beam diameter, twice the effective area of the Deep-Space 1 thruster, while maintaining a relatively-small volume. It incorporates mechanical features and operating conditions to maximize the design heritage established by the flight NSTAR 30 cm engine, while incorporating new technology where warranted to extend the power and throughput capability. The NASA Hall thruster program currently supports a number of tasks related to high power thruster development for a number of customers including the Energetics Program (formerly called the Space-based Program), the Space Solar Power Program, and the In-space Propulsion Program. In program year 2002, two tasks were central to the NASA Hall thruster program: 1.) the development of a laboratory Hall thruster capable of providing high thrust at high power; 2.) investigations into operation of Hall thrusters at high specific impulse. In addition to these two primary thruster development activities, there are a number of other on-going activities supported by the NASA Hall thruster program. These additional activities are related to issues such as thruster lifetime and spacecraft integration.

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TRADEOFF ANALYSIS OF HIGH-POWER ELECTRIC PROPULSION SYSTEMS BASED ON DOMESTIC ELECTRIC PROPULSION ENGINES AND POTENTIAL FOR THEIR USE IN ORBIT-TO-ORBIT TRANSFER SYSTEMS AND DEEP SPACE EXPLORATION

Space engineering and technology ◽

10.33950/spacetech-2308-7625-2019-4-45-55 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 45-55

Author(s):

Yu.G. GUSEV ◽

A.V. PILNIKOV ◽

S.E. SUVOROV

Keyword(s):

High Power ◽

Electric Propulsion ◽

Storage System ◽

Current Status ◽

Vacuum System ◽

Deep Space ◽

Propulsion Systems ◽

Orbit Transfer ◽

Rocket Propulsion ◽

Component Development

The paper discusses design solutions for increased-power and high-power electric rocket propulsion systems to be used in orbit-to-orbit transfer vehicles and advanced spacecraft. It reviews characteristics of their components from the standpoint of the mission to reboost the spacecraft to their target orbits, to perform the operations of transportation to the lunar orbit and to explore deep space. It discusses key criteria and procedures for selection of components, as well as problem areas in their development and ground developmental testing. The paper analyses pros and cons of using various versions of propulsion systems based on medium- and high-power electrical propulsion engines, the current status of their component development, as well as the technical feasibility of conducting developmental tests on the ground. Key words: electric propulsion engine, propulsion system, propulsion module, propellant storage system, power supply and control system, vacuum chamber, vacuum system.

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Less Power, Greater Conflict

Social Psychology ◽

10.1027/1864-9335/a000327 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 47-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Petra C. Schmid

Keyword(s):

Low Power ◽

High Power ◽

Goal Pursuit ◽

Goal Conflict ◽

Personal Goals ◽

Multiple Goals ◽

Objective Performance ◽

The Future ◽

The Way

Abstract. Power facilitates goal pursuit, but how does power affect the way people respond to conflict between their multiple goals? Our results showed that higher trait power was associated with reduced experience of conflict in scenarios describing multiple goals (Study 1) and between personal goals (Study 2). Moreover, manipulated low power increased individuals’ experience of goal conflict relative to high power and a control condition (Studies 3 and 4), with the consequence that they planned to invest less into the pursuit of their goals in the future. With its focus on multiple goals and individuals’ experiences during goal pursuit rather than objective performance, the present research uses new angles to examine power effects on goal pursuit.

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Electric propulsion for manned spaceflights of the future

10.2514/6.1981-707 ◽

1981 ◽

Author(s):

H. LOEB

Keyword(s):

Electric Propulsion ◽

The Future

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A review of high-power magnetoplasmodynamic electric propulsion designs and studies of RSC Energia

Space engineering and technology ◽

10.33950/spacetech-2308-7625-2020-4-112-133 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 112-133

Author(s):

Victor V. SINYAVSKIY

Keyword(s):

Service Life ◽

Electric Power ◽

High Power ◽

Electric Propulsion ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Materials Science ◽

Low Voltage ◽

Power Input ◽

Design Bureau ◽

Rocket Propulsion

At the initiative of S.P.Korolev, in 1959, Special Design Bureau No.1 (now RSC Energia) established the High-temperature Power Engineering and Electric Propulsion Center which was tasked with development of nuclear electric propulsion for heavy interplanetary vehicles. Selected as the source of electric power was a nuclear power unit based on a thermionic converter reactor, and selected as the engine was a stationary low-voltage magnetoplasmodynamic (MPD) high-power (0.5–1.0 MW) thruster which had thousands of hours of service life. The paper presents the results of extensive efforts in research, development, design, materials science experiments, and tests on the MPD-thruster, including the results of development and 500-hours life tests of an MPD-thruster with a 500-600 kW electric power input that used lithium propellant. The world’s first lithium 17 kW MPD-thruster was built and successfully tested in space. The paper points out that to this day nobody has surpassed the then achievements of RSC Energia neither in thruster output during long steady-state operation, nor in performance and service life. Key words: Martian expeditionary vehicle, nuclear electric rocket propulsion system, electric rocket thruster, magnetoplasmodynamic thruster, lithium, cathode, anode, barium, electric propulsion tests in space.

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