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Completed TRL 5 (started at 4, targeting 5)
Project Objective
SPARTAN 2 seeks to leverage the success of SPARTAN 1 and expand the spacecraft priming surge test capability at MSFC.
Project Description
Priming surge testing on spacecraft propulsion systems is inherently difficult due to the initial vacuum requirement prior to the test (<0.0003 psia). Priming surge is often the highest peak pressure that spacecraft propulsion systems must endure. Analytically, it is difficult to predict with confidence without anchoring a model to test data. MSFC has invested in a high-quality, permanent vacuum system to enable this test capability at the Component Development Area (CDA). SPARTAN 2 seeks to test the drying and vacuum performance on both a large, Commercial Lunar Payload Service (CLPS) sized system, and a small ¼" representative reaction control system (RCS) propellant lines. Additional tests will be conducted with both the large and small systems integrated. Test datapoints on the various-sized systems gives the team experience to enable accurate test duration quotes for future NASA spacecraft programs or for external partners.
Project Results and Conclusions
Testing is ongoing, but in this calendar year the team has constructed both the large and small test articles and performed checkout tests using both systems. Data collected from the tests are non-proprietary so they will be leveraged by other NASA programs for analysis model correlations to enhance model predictions for priming surge. Procedures for drying the test articles and bringing them down to vacuum were further proven and demonstrated. Once testing concludes, analytical Thermal Desktop models will be anchored to the tests to further apply lessons learned to provide higher fidelity predictions.
Having a demonstrated priming surge test capability at MSFC will allow future NASA spacecraft programs an affordable testbed to evaluate priming surge pressure. This test capability can also be offered for external partnerships through Space Act Agreements (SAAs) and Government Task Agreements (GTAs).
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