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Microsatellite Direct Drive SEP Module for Interplanetary Exploration via Rideshare

Award Information
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch: N/A
Contract: NNX13CC62P
Agency Tracking Number: 124696
Amount: $124,894.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: S3.03
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2012
Award Year: 2013
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2013-05-23
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2013-11-23
Small Business Information
CO
Lone Tree, CO 80124-4206
United States
DUNS: 967364451
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Paul Wilbur
 Dr.
 (970) 484-5940
 pwilbur@engr.colostate.edu
Business Contact
 Michael VanWoerkom
Title: President
Phone: (303) 565-6898
Email: m_vanwoerkom@exoterraresource.com
Research Institution
 Stub
Abstract

Solar Electric Propulsion drives down the cost of space missions by using its high propulsion efficiency to step down from one launch class to another. As launch costs can be up to a third of total mission costs, stepping down to a smaller rocket can be a mission enabling technology in today's budget constrained environment.While missions such as Dawn have used this to visit multiple asteroids after launch from a small launch vehicle, ExoTerra's SolRider Direct Drive (DD) SEP module allows interplanetary missions to take the next step down in launch cost to package within standard rideshare envelope and mass contraints. Our module integrates multiple technologies to provide up to 8.6 km/s within an Atlas Aft Bulkhead Carrier rideshare or 14.6 km/s of delta-V within a standard ESPA. This can enable launch costs below $5M.Our integrated DD SEP module uses a combination of SEP technologies to create a highly efficient system to package within the rideshare envelope. We use a 175 W/kg and 60kW/m3 rolled composite tube solar array deployment system to package within the tight volume. This provides 300 V power to the thruster through a direct drive system, eliminating the cost, mass and electrical losses of the traditional power processing unit. A Hall Thruster uses the high voltage power to efficiently propel the craft with over 1600 s of Isp. The thruster receives the propellant from a cryogenic Xenon feed system, allowing an order of magnitude drop in tank mass. When coupled to Microsatellite electronics, the system can deliver up to 5.5 kg of payload instruments to Mars orbit.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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