Aerojet To Develop Propulsion System For Future Space Cargo Vehicles

SPACE TRAVEL

The Aerojet-developed Hall thruster (pictured) provides roughly six times the fuel efficiency of today�s conventional chemical propulsion systems.

Sacramento CA (SPX) May 10, 2005
Aerojet, a GenCorp company, announced Monday that it won a multi-year contract from NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate to design, build, test and deliver a 600kW Hall Thruster electric propulsion system to power future cargo transport vehicles to the Moon and mars.

The contract is valued at $32.4 million (including all options).

When the new system is delivered to NASA, Aerojet's work will represent a 30-fold increase in total power and thrust delivered over current state-of- the-art systems, which are approximately 18kW.

An additional benefit of the Aerojet Hall Thruster system is the significant reduction of propellant mass.

The system will require approximately one-third the propellant of equivalent propulsion systems. Industry studies predict a vehicle mass savings of up to 30 metric tons.

"Aerojet is a world leader in the development of new electric and chemical propulsion technologies for space applications," said Aerojet President Michael Martin.

"This contract win strengthens Aerojet's position as NASA's supplier of enabling propulsion technology and the propulsion provider of choice for the return to the Moon and further exploration of Mars."

Aerojet is teamed with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and Colorado Power Electronics, Inc. on the program.

Using NASA GRC's design for a 150kW Hall Thruster, Aerojet's system will include four thrusters, four power processors, a xenon propellant feed system and a thermal management subsystem.

The program - which consists of a 12- month first phase and 3-year second phase - will culminate in a full-power integrated test.

SPACE TRAVEL

Floating In Weightlessness � On Earth

Noordwijk, The Netherlands (ESA) May 09, 2005
"What goes up must come down". Ever since astronauts started playing games in space, for instance catching morsels of food floating in weightlessness conditions, the general public knows that the saying is not necessarily true.

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