Contract Detail

FUTURE LONG-DURATION HUMAN SPACE EXPLORATION MISSIONS WILL DEPEND ON RAPID REPEATABLE CRYOGENIC PROPELLANT GAUGING AND NASA S RADIO FREQUENCY MASS GAUGING (RFMG) IS ON THE PATH TO BECOMING THE PRIMARY LOW-G GAUGING METHOD FOR THESE MISSIONS. THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE METHOD CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO GAUGE CRYOGENIC PROPELLANTS IN WEIGHTLESSNESS WITHOUT MANEUVERING THE VEHICLE. THE INTERNAL FLUID CONTROL OF THIS UPCOMING ORBITAL TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT TEST HAS PROMPTED THIS PROPOSED SEEKING TO ADVANCE TECHNOLOGY READINESS OF THE FLUID CONTROL SUB-SYSTEM OF THE RFMG TEST WHICH IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO FUTURE LONG-DURATION HUMAN SPACE EXPLORATION. PROPOSED IS A TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION PAYLOAD TO DEVELOP CONFIDENCE IN CERTAIN GEOMETRIES INSIDE PROPELLANT TANKS IN THE RFMG PORTION OF NASA STMD S EVOLVABLE CRYOGENICS (ECRYO) PROGRAM. THE PAYLOAD WILL FLY ON A SINGLE BLUE ORIGIN SUB-ORBITAL FLIGHT IN THEIR STANDARD-SIZED SINGLE-HEIGHT PAYLOAD LOCKER AND WILL BE ACCOMMODATED BY THE STANDARD MASS SIZE CONTROL POWER AND DATA ACQUISITION RESOURCES. GEOMETRY FEATURES SUCH AS A CENTRAL POST AND A FLAT SENSOR BOARD WITH MULTIPLE PROTRUDING VERY SMALL DIAMETER SENSORS IN THE RFMG TEST VESSEL AFFECT THE SHAPE AND STABILITY OF THE CAPILLARY-DRIVEN POSITIONING OF THE CRYOGEN. THESE FEATURES ARE REPLICATED IN PURDUE S PROPOSED CRYOGENIC GAUGING TECHNOLOGY GEOMETRY DEVELOPMENT PAYLOAD IN A MANNER WHICH MAKES FOR PRACTICAL STUDY IN THREE MINUTES OF WEIGHTLESSNESS AND WITH A SMALL BUDGET. THIS PROPOSED TRL ADVANCEMENT EFFORT IS THUS SUPPORTING THE RFMG TEST IN NASA S RRM3 PAYLOAD. RFMG IS TO BE IS INSTALLED IN AN RRM3 TANK SO THEREFORE THIS EFFORT ALSO SUPPORTS THE BIG-PICTURE GOALS OF RRM3. STATE OF THE ART CRYOGENIC GAUGING IS NEARLY NONEXISTENT UNLESS ONE RELIES ON FIRST FIRING A SETTLING BURN WITH THRUSTERS.

FUTURE LONG-DURATION HUMAN SPACE EXPLORATION MISSIONS WILL DEPEND ON RAPID REPEATABLE CRYOGENIC PROPELLANT GAUGING AND NASA S RADIO FREQUENCY MASS GAUGING (RFMG) IS ON THE PATH TO BECOMING THE PRIMARY LOW-G GAUGING METHOD FOR THESE MISSIONS. THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE METHOD CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO GAUGE CRYOGENIC PROPELLANTS IN WEIGHTLESSNESS WITHOUT MANEUVERING THE VEHICLE. THE INTERNAL FLUID CONTROL OF THIS UPCOMING ORBITAL TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT TEST HAS PROMPTED THIS PROPOSED SEEKING TO ADVANCE TECHNOLOGY READINESS OF THE FLUID CONTROL SUB-SYSTEM OF THE RFMG TEST WHICH IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO FUTURE LONG-DURATION HUMAN SPACE EXPLORATION. PROPOSED IS A TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION PAYLOAD TO DEVELOP CONFIDENCE IN CERTAIN GEOMETRIES INSIDE PROPELLANT TANKS IN THE RFMG PORTION OF NASA STMD S EVOLVABLE CRYOGENICS (ECRYO) PROGRAM. THE PAYLOAD WILL FLY ON A SINGLE BLUE ORIGIN SUB-ORBITAL FLIGHT IN THEIR STANDARD-SIZED SINGLE-HEIGHT PAYLOAD LOCKER AND WILL BE ACCOMMODATED BY THE STANDARD MASS SIZE CONTROL POWER AND DATA ACQUISITION RESOURCES. GEOMETRY FEATURES SUCH AS A CENTRAL POST AND A FLAT SENSOR BOARD WITH MULTIPLE PROTRUDING VERY SMALL DIAMETER SENSORS IN THE RFMG TEST VESSEL AFFECT THE SHAPE AND STABILITY OF THE CAPILLARY-DRIVEN POSITIONING OF THE CRYOGEN. THESE FEATURES ARE REPLICATED IN PURDUE S PROPOSED CRYOGENIC GAUGING TECHNOLOGY GEOMETRY DEVELOPMENT PAYLOAD IN A MANNER WHICH MAKES FOR PRACTICAL STUDY IN THREE MINUTES OF WEIGHTLESSNESS AND WITH A SMALL BUDGET. THIS PROPOSED TRL ADVANCEMENT EFFORT IS THUS SUPPORTING THE RFMG TEST IN NASA S RRM3 PAYLOAD. RFMG IS TO BE IS INSTALLED IN AN RRM3 TANK SO THEREFORE THIS EFFORT ALSO SUPPORTS THE BIG-PICTURE GOALS OF RRM3. STATE OF THE ART CRYOGENIC GAUGING IS NEARLY NONEXISTENT UNLESS ONE RELIES ON FIRST FIRING A SETTLING BURN WITH THRUSTERS.