Cryogenic propellant liquefaction and storage for a precursor to a human Mars mission

摘要

An analysis of cryogenic liquefaction and storagemethods for in-situ produced propellants (oxygen and methane) onMars is presented. The application is to a subscale precursorsample return mission, intended to demonstrate critical cryogenictechnologies prior to a human mission. A heat transfer analysis isincluded, resulting in predicted cryogenic tank surfacetemperatures and heat leak values for different conditions.Insulation thickness is traded off against cryocooler capacity tofind optimum combinations for various insulation configurations,including multilayer insulation and microspheres. Microsphereinsulation is shown to have promise, and further development isrecommended. 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.