#propellant — Public Fediverse posts

Both companies’ plans rely on the availability of an orbital propellant ⛽ depot, which would fuel up their vehicles on the way to the #moon 🌙. The biggest test will be the orbital propellant transfer demonstration https://www.astronomy.com/space-exploration/spacex-blue-origin-share-new-lunar-landing-profiles/

A single #NewGlenn rocket will be able to send the #BlueMoon lander to the Lunar #Gateway. But the lander won’t have enough #propellant to make a powered descent to the lunar surface https://hackaday.com/2023/12/07/artemis-next-giant-leap-orbital-refueling/

#SpaceX #Starship #BlueOrigin #Mk1 #NASA #Artemis

🌙 #Lunar #ISPP (in situ #propellant ⛽ production) : 3 billion metric tons of water ice 🧊 are estimated at each pole*. Delivery from the #Moon could be done by #electromagnetic launcher (#EML)** for in-space refueling https://www.factoriesinspace.com/propellant-refilling

*https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576500000783
**https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576523001066

#ISRU

The #Psyche #spacecraft travels using #SolarElectric (low-thrust) #propulsion. Solar ☀️ electric propulsion uses electricity from solar arrays to create electromagnetic fields to accelerate and expel charged atoms ⚛️ (#ions) of #xenon to create a very low thrust with a very efficient use of #propellant ⛽. This will be the first use of a #HallEffectThruster beyond lunar orbit.
#Launch period 📆 October 5-25, 2023 https://psyche.asu.edu/mission/launch

Propulsion : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyche_(spacecraft)#Propulsion

#Forbes "Psyche could contain a core of #iron, #nickel and #gold worth $10,000 #quadrillion" https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2022/10/29/nasa-will-launch-psyche-mission-to-explore-asteroid-worth-more-than-the-global-economy

#NYT #AsteroidMining : "let’s say Psyche ☄️were pulverized and carried to #Earth 🌎. For precisely that reason, #prices of iron and nickel would drop close to zero. I interviewed Matthew Gialich, the chief executive officer and a co-founder of #AstroForge. They’re going for #platinum, which sells for a little under $1,000 an ounce, and related #metals, such as #palladium." https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/opinion/psyche-asteroid-nasa-mining.html

It was believed that running more #propellant through a Hall #thruster would wreck its efficiency, but new experiments suggest they might power a crewed #mission to #Mars
#Engineering #Aerospace #sflorg
https://www.sflorg.com/2023/01/eng01242301.html

#Nature 📆 10 November 2022 #Electric #propulsion : The gaseous #propellant is priorly #ionized and the charged #particles in the #plasmas are energized and #accelerated by applying #electromagnetic fields. #Electric #power obtained by #solar panels is converted into the #kinetic #energy of the propellant. A 30% conversion #efficiency is the highest to date https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-22789-7

#Spacecraft electric propulsion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacecraft_electric_propulsion