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Surface nuclear power for human mars missions
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Mason, Lee S. |
| Copyright Year | 1999 |
| Description | The Design Reference Mission for NASA's human mission to Mars indicates the desire for in-situ propellant production and bio-regenerative life systems to ease Earth launch requirements. These operations, combined with crew habitation and science, result in surface power requirements approaching 160 kilowatts. The power system, delivered on an early cargo mission, must be deployed and operational prior to crew departure from Earth. The most mass efficient means of satisfying these requirements is through the use of nuclear power. Studies have been performed to identify a potential system concept using a mobile cart to transport the power system away from the Mars lander and provide adequate separation between the reactor and crew. The studies included an assessment of reactor and power conversion technology options, selection of system and component redundancy, determination of optimum separation distance, and system performance sensitivity to some key operating parameters. The resulting system satisfies the key mission requirements including autonomous deployment, high reliability, and cost effectiveness at a overall system mass of 12 tonnes and a stowed volume of about 63 cu m. |
| File Size | 577008 |
| Page Count | 11 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19990018685 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t9t19z26v |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1999-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Lunar And Planetary Exploration Manned Mars Missions Mars Planet Nuclear Electric Power Generation Spacecraft Power Supplies Gas Cooled Reactors Mission Planning Mars Surface Spacecraft Design Spacecraft Configurations Cargo Spacecraft Spacecraft Propulsion Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Technical Report |
