STTR Phase I: Development of an Additively-Manufactured, Non-Toxic, Advanced Storable Hybrid Rocket Propulsion System

这项小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力旨在使大型和小型立方体卫星运营商都能负担得起轨道机动。拟议中的技术旨在为市场提供一种价格合理、“绿色”、可靠且易于集成的模块化推进系统。最小的集成要求将允许CubeSat运营商首先专注于任务目标和有效载荷，而不是推进系统集成。今天，集成推进系统需要对热、电和体积要求进行大量调整，并且危险推进剂限制了可用的发射服务。这两个因素都增加了成本，延长了工期。该项目的目标是为立方体卫星提供先进的机动、行星际轨迹、快速的生命结束处理和准确的航向修正能力。无障碍推进也可以减少轨道拥挤，因为较少的机动卫星可以与许多静止定位卫星的能力相当。立方体卫星已经实现了快速部署能力，包括低延迟通信中继，防御目的，以及从基础物理实验到地球观测的科学研究。拟议中的技术旨在增强立方体卫星的能力，为下一代科学家、工程师和企业家开辟新的行业和发现。这项小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目旨在开发该技术，并为商业可用的化学混合推进系统生产一个可用于太空飞行的原型设计。传统的混合动力系统由于制造复杂、单次使用和/或有毒的点火系统以及低燃料回复率而显示出明显的缺点。这项技术试图通过利用3d打印的热塑性塑料作为基础燃料来解决这些问题，这种燃料具有可重复、快速和低功率点火的电气特性。一些潜在的推进剂组合具有很高的理论性能，但与点火方式不相容，燃料回归率低，或难以制造。在测试推进剂组合与点火系统的兼容性后，将对系统性能进行模拟。性能数据将用于评估和设计原型推进模块。燃料将暴露在模拟的空间环境中，并将进行实验室重量测试以验证模拟结果。拟议的研究计划将确定生产具有竞争力和可靠性的集成立方体卫星推进系统的最佳选择，并进行测试活动，以提供原型系统将按照设计执行的信心。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project seeks to make orbital maneuvers affordable for large and small CubeSat operators. The proposed technology seeks to supply the market with an affordable, “green”, reliable, and easy to integrate modular propulsion system. Minimal integration requirements will allow CubeSat operators to focus on mission objectives and payload first, instead of the propulsion system integration. Today, integrating a propulsion system requires significant accommodations for thermal, electrical, and volume requirements and hazardous propellants limit available launch service. Both of these factors contribute to increasing cost and lenthening schedules. The goal of this project is to make advanced maneuvers, interplanetary trajectories, rapid end of life disposal, and accurate course corrections accessible capabilities for CubeSats. Accessible propulsion may also reduce orbital congestion as fewer maneuverable satellites can equal the capability of many statically-positioned satellites. CubeSats have already enabled rapid deployment of capabilities including low latency communication relays, defense purposes, and scientific research ranging from fundamental physics experiments to Earth observation. The proposed technology seeks to enhance CubeSat capabilities, opening new industries and discoveries for the next great generation of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs.This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project seeks to develop the technology and produce a prototype spaceflight-ready design for a commercially-available, chemical-hybrid propulsion system. Conventional hybrid systems have shown significant downsides due to complex manufacturing, single use and/or toxic ignition systems, and low fuel regression rates. This technology seeks to solve these issues by utilizing a 3-D printed thermoplastic as the base fuel, which has electrical properties that allow for repeatable, rapid, and low power ignition. Some potential propellant combinations have a high theoretical performance, but are incompatible with the ignition method, have a low fuel regression rate, or are difficult to manufacture. After testing propellant combinations for compatibility with the ignition system, the system performance will be simulated. The performance data will be used to evaluate and design a prototype propulsion module. The fuel will be exposed to a simulated space environment and a lab weight scale test will be performed to verify the simulation results. The proposed research plan will identify the best option to produce a competitive and reliable integrated CubeSat propulsion system, with a test campaign constructed to provide confidence that a prototype system will perform as designed.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.