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Completed TRL 7 (started at 4, targeting 7)
30,000 PSI Promoted Combustion: “If you build it… what will come?” Higher performance and reliability ECLSS and propulsion for lunar and Martian exploration.
Modern oxygen systems have matched the agency’s current capabilities for testing metals flammability, with operating pressures of 10,000 psi. Future systems cannot progress to higher oxygen pressures without taking an unknown flammability risk. Higher performance oxygen systems, both propulsion and environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS), require even higher operating pressures. From a strength and properties standpoint, modern materials are capable of withstanding these conditions. However without test data, hardware owners are not willing to accept the unknown flammability risk. A flammability test system has been designed and is currently being built at WSTF to test at unprecedented pressures, up to 30,000 psi. Before this capability was developed, the agency (and the world), was unable to determine the pressure where many key pressure system materials sustain combustion. Knowing where metals such as copper and nickel sustain combustion can help to design modern oxygen Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) and propulsion systems that achieve higher pressures and performance with reduced risk of fire. This increase in performance could increase a vehicle’s ability to deliver heavier payloads, and lower system weight per unit mass of delivered oxygen on long duration or hard to resupply missions.
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This is a mature technology (TRL 7) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.
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