Mars Flyer Rocket Propulsion Risk Assessment Kaiser Marquardt Testing

By: Nasa, National Aeronautics and Space Adm

This report describes the investigation of a 10-N, bipropellant thruster, operating at -40 C, with monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and 25% nitric oxide in nitrogen tetroxide (MON-25). The thruster testing was conducted as part of a risk reduction activity for the Mars Flyer, a proposed mission to fly a miniature airplane in the Martian atmosphere. Testing was conducted using an existing thruster, designed for MMH and MON-3 propellants. The nitric oxide content of MON-3 was increased to 25%, to lower its freezing point to -55 C. The thruster was conditioned, along with the propellants, to temperature prior to hot firing. Thruster operating parameters included oxidizer-to-fuel mixture ratios of 1.6 to 2.7 and inlet pressure ranging from 689 to 2070 kPa. The test matrix consisted of many 10-second firings and several 60-, 300-, 600-, and 1200-second firings, as well as pulse testing. The thruster successfully accumulated nearly 10,000 seconds of operation without failure, at temperatures ranging from -40 C to 22 C. At nominal inlet pressures, the ignition delay was comparable to MMH/MON-3 operation. The optimal performance for the 8.9-N thruster was determined to be at a mixture ratio of 1.93 with an average specific impulse of 298 sec.Marquardt, KaiserGlenn Research CenterLIQUID ROCKET PROPELLANTS; PERFORMANCE TESTS; OXIDIZERS; NITROGEN TETROXIDE; MARS ATMOSPHERE; ROCKET ENGINES; FAILURE; ACCUMULATIONS; FLYING PERSONNEL; INLET PRESSURE; MELTING POINTS; MINIATURIZATION; MONOMETHYLHYDRAZINES; NITRIC OXIDE; SPECIFIC IMPULSE

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1723737844
• ISBN13: 9781723737848
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 38 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 8.5" x 11.0"