NASA could be very considering growing a propulsion methodology to permit spacecraft to go quicker. We have reported a number of occasions on totally different concepts to assist that purpose, and many of the extra profitable have utilized the sun’s gravity effectively, usually by slingshotting round it, as is usually performed with Jupiter presently.
However, there are nonetheless vital hurdles when doing so, not the least of which is the power radiating from the sun merely vaporizing something that will get shut sufficient to make the most of a gravity help. That is the issue a challenge supported by NASA’s Institute for Superior Ideas (NIAC) and run by Jason Benkoski, now of Lawrence Livermore Nationwide Laboratory, is attempting to unravel.
The project was awarded a NIAC Section I grant in 2022, targeted on combining two separate programs—a heat shield and a thermal propellant system. In line with the challenge’s final report, combining these two applied sciences may permit a spacecraft to carry out what is named an Oberth maneuver across the sun.
On this orbital mechanics trick, a spacecraft makes use of the sun’s gravity effectively to slingshot itself at excessive speeds within the route it goals. It is much like the sundiver know-how mentioned in different articles.
So, what makes this challenge distinctive? One factor is the warmth protect—Dr. Benkoski and his crew developed a cloth that’s able to withstanding as much as 2700 Okay. Whereas that’s nonetheless not anyplace close to the temperature of the sun’s floor, which might attain as much as 5800 Okay, its sufficient to get fairly shut, and thereby unlock a spacecraft’s capability to make use of an Oberth maneuver within the first place.
Samples of the fabric with these thermal properties have already been produced. Nevertheless, additional analysis is required to know whether or not they’re minimize out for space flight. And a warmth protect alone is not sufficient to carry out the maneuver—a spacecraft additionally should have a propulsion system that may face up to these temperatures.
A solar thermal propulsion system may doubtlessly achieve this. These programs use the sun’s power to pressurize their very own propellant after which expel these propellants out to realize thrust, which is a needed element of an Oberth maneuver. There are a number of several types of fuels that might work for such a system, and a big chunk of the analysis within the Section I challenge seemed on the totally different prices/advantages of every.
Hydrogen is among the extra widespread fuels thought of for a solar thermal propulsion system. Although it’s light-weight, it requires a cumbersome cryogenic system to retailer the hydrogen as a result of it’s heated to the purpose of getting used as thrust. In the long run, its trade-offs made it the least efficient of the propellants thought of through the challenge.
Lithium hydride was the shock winner for the gas that permits for the quickest escape velocity. Calculations present it may lead to a velocity of over 12 AU / yr. Nevertheless, there are constraints with the gas’s storage and dealing with.
Dr. Benkoski settled on a extra mundane gas as the general winner of the modeling he did—methane. Whereas it typically leads to a slower closing velocity than lithium hydride, its closing velocity continues to be respectable at over 10 AU / yr. It additionally eliminates many storage hassles of different propellants, such because the cryogenics required to retailer hydrogen.
There are some drawbacks, although—the calculated most velocity is simply about 1.7 occasions quicker than what may already be performed with a gravitational help from Jupiter, which would not require all the flowery thermal shielding.
There are different downsides to that, although, such because the route the spacecraft can journey in being restricted by the place Jupiter is in relation to different objects of curiosity. Orbiting the sun, alternatively, it’s attainable to succeed in just about anyplace within the solar system and past with the fitting managed burn.
As Dr. Benkoski notes within the closing report, he made loads of assumptions when doing his modeling calculations, together with that the system would solely have the ability to use already-developed applied sciences moderately than speculative ones that might dramatically impression the outcomes.
For now, it would not appear NASA has chosen this challenge to maneuver on to Section II, and it is unclear what future work is deliberate for additional improvement. If nothing else, it’s a step towards understanding what could be needed to actually ship spacecraft previous the sun and into deep space at a velocity a lot quicker than the rest has gone earlier than. Given NASA’s continuous consideration to this subject, undoubtedly, sometime, one of many missions will achieve doing so.
Extra data:
Jason Benkoski et al, Mixed Warmth Defend and Photo voltaic Thermal Propulsion System for an Oberth Maneuver (2023). DOI: 10.2172/1960159
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Slingshotting across the sun would make a spacecraft the quickest ever (2024, June 21)
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