Origin of how steam rockets can reduce space transport cost by orders of magnitude

Details Origin of how steam rockets can reduce space transport cost by orders of magnitude Origin of how steam rockets can reduce space transport cost by orders of magnitude

Jan 1999

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1999aipc..458.1211z&link_type=abstract

Space technology and applications international forum -1999. AIP Conference Proceedings, Volume 458, pp. 1211-1216 (1999).

Statistics

Applications

Spaceborne And Space Research Instruments, Apparatus, And Components

Scientific paper

A brief sketch shows the origin of why and how thermal rocket propulsion has the unique potential to dramatically reduce the cost of space transportation for most inner solar system missions of interest. Orders of magnitude reduction in cost are apparently possible when compared to all processes requiring electrolysis for the production of rocket fuels or propellants and to all electric propulsion systems. An order of magnitude advantage can be attributed to rocket propellant tank factors associated with storing water propellant, compared to cryogenic liquids. An order of magnitude can also be attributed to the simplicity of the extraction and processing of ice on the lunar surface, into an easily stored, non-cryogenic rocket propellant (water). A nuclear heated thermal rocket can deliver thousands of times its mass to Low Earth Orbit from the Lunar surface, providing the equivalent to orders of magnitude drop in launch cost for mass in Earth orbit. Mass includes water ice. These cost reductions depend (exponentially) on the mission delta-v requirements being less than about 6 km/s, or about 3 times the specific velocity of steam rockets (2 km/s, from Isp 200 sec). Such missions include: from the lunar surface to Low Lunar Orbit, (LLO), from LLO to lunar escape, from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO), from LEO to Earth Escape, from LEO to Mars Transfer Orbit, from LLO to GEO, missions returning payloads from about 10% of the periodic comets using propulsive capture to orbits around Earth itself, and fast, 100 day missions from Lunar Escape to Mars. All the assertions depend entirely and completely on the existence of abundant, nearly pure ice at the permanently dark North and South Poles of the Moon.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Origin of how steam rockets can reduce space transport cost by orders of magnitude does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Origin of how steam rockets can reduce space transport cost by orders of magnitude, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Origin of how steam rockets can reduce space transport cost by orders of magnitude will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1189034