nuclear thermal cryogenic rocket with an afterburner for a human mars mission
- Paper number
IAC-18,D2,8-A5.4,9,x45233
- Author
Ms. Silvy Suria Kerkar, India, University of Leicester
- Coauthor
Mr. Andrea Di Caro, Italy, Politecnico di Torino - Thales Alenia Space Italia
- Coauthor
Mr. Barret Schlegelmilch, United States, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Coauthor
Mr. Riccardo Gelain, Italy, Sapienza University of Rome
- Year
2018
- Abstract
Many ideas and designs for a Mars Transfer Vehicle exist in literature. Unfortunately, nearly all of them are at a TRL 3 or below. Of these feasible designs, a Nuclear Thermal Rocket or NTR is the only option which has been tested in the past. This is the only option that simultaneously offers both high specific impulse and high thrust, making it the perfect candidate for crewed Mars exploration missions. With an added afterburner, it would be an ideal choice for missions that can leverage In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) activities on the Moon (for extraction, processing and supply of liquid oxygen). Our proposal focuses on optimizing the design of a NERVA-based engine (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Applications) with an added liquid oxygen(LOX) afterburner. This paper employs a trajectory design and Cislunar-based Mars transit strategy from an existing Mars mission architecture, MUSE(Moon Utilisation for Science and Exploration), outlined in Stefano Torresan et al., 2017. Based on this transfer strategy, a comparative analysis of a NTR with and without a LOX afterburner is performed to derive an optimal engine configuration and operation sequence (per maneuver). A lunar resource utilization plan is also proposed to enable full/partial supply of the Mars Transfer Vehicle.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)