Aersp 401A

Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem

(rocket science in 15 minutes)
Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem
Uses of onboard propulsion systems
Orbit Transfer
LEO to GEO
LEO to Solar Orbit
Drag Makeup
Attitude Control
Orbit Maintenance

Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem
Typical Mission Requirements
Orbit Transfer
Perigee Burn -- 2,400 m/s
Apogee Burn -- 1,500 - 1,800 m/s
Drag Makeup -- 60 - 1,500 m/s
Attitude Control -- 3 - 10% of total propellant
Orbit Maintenance
Orbit Correction -- 15 - 75 m/s (per year)
Stationkeeping -- 50 - 60 m/s


Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem
Basics of Rocketry
Rocket -- Any propulsion system that carries its
own reaction mass.
v = u
e
ln(M
initial
/M
final
)
v is the spacecraft velocity change
u
e
is the rocket exhaust velocity
M
initial
and M
final
are the spacecraft mass before and
after the rocket firing, respectively
Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem
Basics of Rocketry
= (m/t)u
e
+(p
e
-p
a
)A
e
is the engine thrust
(m/t) is the mass flow rate of propellant
u
e
is the rocket exhaust velocity
p
e
and p
a
are the exhaust and ambient pressure,
respectively
A
e
is the nozzle exit area
Most thrust for a perfectly expanded nozzle

Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem
Basics of Rocketry
u
eq
= u
e
+ [(p
e
-p
a
)/(m/t)]A
e
u
eq
is the equivalent exhaust velocity
u
eq
= u
e
for a perfectly expanded nozzle
= (m/t)u
eq
I
sp
= u
eq
/g
Specific impulse is a measure of thrust per
propellant mass flow rate
g is always gravity at Earths surface, not local


Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem
Chemical Rockets
Performance is energy limited
Propellant Selection
Maximum Performance
Density
Storage (i.e. cryogenic)
Heat transfer properties
Toxicity and corrosivity
Viscosity
Availability (cost)
Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem
Chemical Rockets
Cold Gas Systems
pressurized gas flowing through a nozzle, no reaction
very low performance -- 30-70s I
sp
very simple, inexpensive system
Monopropellant Liquid Systems
Single substance with a catalyst hydrazine, hydrogen
peroxide with metal catalysts -- silver, rhodium, platinum
physically simple system
200-225s I
sp
Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem
Chemical Rockets
Bipropellant Liquid Systems
liquid fuel -- hydrocarbons, kerosene or alcohol based
liquid oxidizer -- oxygen, nitrogen tetroxide
more complex pumping/feed systems
better performance -- 300-450s I
sp
Solid Propellants
Matrix of fuel and oxidizer
simple system
single burn, no throttling
moderate performance 275s I
sp

Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem
Electric Propulsion
Performance
Input Power = I
sp
g/(2)
is efficiency (Kinetic Energy/Input Power)
Electrothermal
Electrical energy is used to heat the propellant to high
temperature, and then gas is expanded through a nozzle.
Resistojet
Ammonia, Water
~300s I
sp
Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem
Electric Propulsion
Electrothermal (cont.)
Arcjet
Ammonia, Hydrazine
~500-600s I
sp

Electrostatic
Electrical energy is used to accelerate charged particles
with a static electric field
Ion Engine
Xenon, Krypton
2,500-10,000s Isp
Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem
Electric Propulsion
Electromagnetic
Combination of steady or transient electric and magnetic
fields used to accelerate charged particles
Pulsed plasma thruster
Teflon
850-1200s I
sp

Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem
System Selection and Sizing (Table 17.2)
1) Determine propulsion functions -- table 17.1
2) Determine v and thrust levels needed -- sec. 7.3,
sec. 10.3
3) Determine subsystem options -- ch. 17
4) Estimate Isp, thrust, mass, volume for each option
5) Establish baseline subsystem


Spacecraft Propulsion Subsystem
References
Hill and Peterson, Mechanics and Thermodynamics
of Propulsion
Sutton, Rocket Propulsion Elements
Micci and Ketsdever, eds., Micropropulsion for
Small Spacecraft.
Aersp 430, 530