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Very low earth orbit propellant collection feasibility assessmentSingh, Lake Austin 12 January 2015 (has links)
This work focuses on the concept of sustainable propellant collection. The concept consists of gathering ambient gas while on-orbit and using it as propellant. Propellant collection could potentially enable operation in very-low Earth orbits without compromising spacecraft lifetime. This work conducts a detailed analysis of propellant collection from a physics perspective in order to test the assertions of previous researchers that propellant collection can dramatically reduce the cost of propellant on-orbit. Major design factors for propellant collection are identified from the fundamental propellant collection equations, which are derived in this work from first principles. A sensitivity analysis on the parameters in these equations determines the relative importance of each parameter to the overall performance of a propellant-collecting vehicle. The propellant collection equations enable the study of where propellant collection is technically feasible as a function of orbit and vehicle performance parameters. Two case studies conducted for a very-low Earth orbit science mission and a propellant depot-type mission serve to demonstrate the application of the propellant collection equations derived in this work. The results of this work show where propellant collection is technically feasible for a wide range of orbit and vehicle performance parameters. Propellant collection can support very-low Earth operation with presently available technology, and a number of research developments can further extend propellant-collecting concepts' ability to operate at low altitudes. However, propellant collection is not presently suitable for propellant depot applications due to limitations in power.
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