Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Dec 2004
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004dps....36.1423s&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #36, #14.23; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 36, p.1097
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Within NASA's In-Space Propulsion Technology Projects Office exists Emerging Propulsion Technologies (EPT) Investment Area that is advancing emerging propulsion concepts that have potential to lower the cost of space transportation, enable new missions, and/or increase the payload capability. The current, primary investment of EPT is the Momentum-eXchange/Electrodynamic Reboost (MXER) tether concept. The MXER tether is a long, rotating cable in an elliptical Earth orbit whose rapid rotation allows it to catch a payload in a low Earth orbit and throw it to a high-energy orbit. The orbital energy transferred by the MXER tether to the payload is restored to the tether via electrodynamic tether propulsion. This technique uses solar power to drive electrical current collected from the ionosphere through the tether, resulting in a magnetic interaction with the terrestrial field. Since the Earth itself serves as the reaction mass, the thrust force is generated without propellant, and allows the MXER facility to be repeatedly reused without resupply. Essentially, the MXER facility is a `propellantless' upper stage that could assist nearly every mission going beyond low Earth orbit. Payloads to interplanetary destinations would especially benefit from the boost provided by the MXER facility, resulting in launch vehicle cost reductions, increased payload fractions, and more frequent mission opportunities. Some of the benefits to space exploration include: (1) Multi-use, in-space, `propellantless' infrastructure, (2) Useable by essentially all missions beyond LEO, (3) Lowers overall mission costs and/or enables larger payloads, (4) ``Panama Canal" of space transportation, (5) A spiral development for future generations, (6) Readily scales up or down, (7) Future transportation to and from Lunar surface.
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