NASA SBIR 00-1 SOLICITATION
FORM 9B - PROJECT SUMMARY
PROPOSAL NUMBER 00-1 03.02-8064 (Chron: 001937 )
PROJECT TITLE
Carbon-based Mars ISRU Rocket Technology (CMIRT)
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The innovation is a unique Carbon-based Mars ISRU Rocket Technology (CMIRT) that
can greatly reduce vehicle size, complexity, support systems, and Earth launch
mass requirements for a variety of human and robotic Mars missions, where propulsion
systems use propellants from indigenous materials on Mars. CMIRT propellants are
simply derived from the CO2 or H2O in the Mars atmosphere or from H2O found in
the Mars soil or subsurface. The CMIRT innova-tion consists of efficiently packaged
solid carbon-based fuel (with various percentages of hydrogen)/liquid oxygen inte-grated
into ORBITEC's cryogenic hybrid with a vortex feed system. The ISRU-based propellant
family and the unique vortex-fed hybrid propulsion system approach proposed here
has many advantages over other Earth-derived propellants and conventional propulsion
systems. ORBITEC's experience and capability in advanced propulsion and ISRU sys-tems
will allow much to be accomplished during the Phase I effort. During Phase, I
ORBITEC proposes to: (1) conduct test firings in the ORBITEC Mark II hybrid engine
to measure regression rates of the carbon-based propellants, (2) de-sign the vortex
advanced cryogenic hybrid engine that will integrate into the MarkII system, (3)
construct/fabricate and test the vortex advanced cryogenic hybrid engine, (4)
conduct test firings in the vortex engine, and (5) analyze test firing results
and recommend Phase II propellant selection and flexible propulsion systems that
can use many of the carbon-based fuels with oxygen. Phase II will result in the
final designs, construction, parametric testing, and larger-scale test firings
of selected CMIRT propellant systems.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
The results of this effort are applicable to future NASA Solar System unmanned
and manned exploration missions to Mars. This activity is a part of NASA's overall
strategic plan. Totally Mars-produced fuels and oxidizers will enhance and/or
enable a variety of Mars exploration missions by providing a very cost-effective
supply of propellants. The unique hardware proposed will also provide a low-cost
and efficient/simple approach to reusable rocket propulsion on Mars. The establishment
of practical feasibility could absolutely result in significant savings to our
exploration pro-grams. These engines could be used for efficient planetary ascent/descent,
orbit transfer, launch boost, intercept, etc. The storage aspects could lead to
developments in lunar, Mars-based or on-orbit cryogenic fluid storage applications.
This propellant/propulsion concept can meet the requirements of a number of manned
and robotic ISRU Mars missions, especially a sample return mission. The proposed
project could spinoff into revolutionary high-performance, low-cost, advanced
cryogenic engines, of various sizes, that could significantly enhance a wide variety
of Earth-based military and civil space missions and enable others.
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
(Name, Organization Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Dr. Eric E. Rice
Orbital Technologies Corporation
Space Center, 1212 Fourier Drive
Madison , WI 53717 - 1961
NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Orbital Technologies Corporation
Space Center, 1212 Fourier Drive
Madison , WI 53717 - 1961