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Cryogenic Fluid Transfer Technology: Technical Assessment and Concept of Operations Definition (CFT)
Completed
TRL 2 (started at 2, targeting 2)
Description
SpaceX partnered with GRC and MSFC to advance technology needed to transfer propellant in orbit, an important step in the development of the company’s Starship space vehicle. First, NASA worked with SpaceX to assess the current Starship cryogenic storage and transfer architecture and CONOPS, to identify the highest-risk areas of the system and the elements that most affect the system's robustness and efficiency. With this assessment, the team defined a test matrix for possible high-value test campaigns. After defining the test matrix, NASA worked with SpaceX to develop options for test campaigns to be completed. This included defining initial test CONOPS for the highest-risk technology areas identified as needing test campaigns. The analysis and test CONOPS definition allowed for improvement of the design and tests to advance the on-orbit propellant transfer capability of Starship technology readiness level (TRL) 3 to TRL 4. This brought the reusable Starship, with accompanying launch cost reductions, closer to operational reality while achieving NASA's goals of expanding capabilities and opportunities in space. NASA subject matter experts worked with SpaceX engineers to perform in-depth computational fluid analysis of proposed propellant transfer missions between two SpaceX Starships in low-Earth orbit. SpaceX conducted a study in partnership with GRC’s Compass concurrent engineering team, developing an initial concept-of-operations for SpaceX orbital propellant transfer missions.
Benefits
On-orbit propellant transfer—an enabling capability of Starship’s architecture and concept of operations (CONOPS)—allows Starship to maximize useful payload volume and deliver human passengers and unprecedented cargo mass to a range of targets. The Starship propellant transfer design uses cryogenic propellantsto maximize specific impulse. The key next steps for the advancement of this capability are to assess any risks of the current design of our propellant transfer architecture; identify the critical elements to test to optimize and gain confidence in the system; and evolve the design of the operational system based on the testing results.
Details
| Technology area | Thermal Management Systems > Cryogenic Systems > In-Space Propellant Storage and Use |
| Program | Technology Demonstration Missions (TDM) |
| Lead organization | SpaceX, Hawthorne, CA |
| Start date | 2019-11-01 |
| End date | 2020-10-31 |
Project contacts
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How to get involved
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