This report summarizes the results of an evaluation of a variety of advanced low thrust propulsion options for the cargo-delivery portion of a split-mission piloted Mars exploration scenario. The propulsion options considered were solar sails. 100-MWe class nuclear electric propulsion (NEP), 100-WEe class solar electric propulsion (SEP), magnetic sails (magsails), mass drivers, rail guns, solar thermal rockets. beamed-energy (laser and microwave) propulsion systems, and tethers. The requirement was to transport 400 metric tons (MT) of cargo from a 500-km altitude low Earth orbit (LEO) to a 6000-km altitude Mars orbit (e.g., Phobos’ orbit) for the 2014 opportunity. The primary figures of meri usedt in this study were total initial mass in low Earth orbit (IMLEO) and the Earth-to-Mars trip time.
This post was published on March 7, 2019 7:13 pm
Newly released Department of Defense records reveal the prolonged and often frustrating prepublication review process…
Newly released Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) documents obtained by The Black Vault under FOIA case…
Background The Central Intelligence Agency was created in 1947 with the signing of the National…
The Department of Defense (DOD) has released, in full, the exact text of the “Verbal…
A released Department of Defense document, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, provides a…
Background Welcome to the FBI Files on Journalists and their Periodicals archive on The Black…