LOAD RESPONSIVE MLI: THERMAL INSULATION WITH HIGH IN-ATMOSPHERE & ON-ORBIT PERFORMANCE LONG TERM STORAGE OF…

Public award description

LOAD RESPONSIVE MLI: THERMAL INSULATION WITH HIGH IN-ATMOSPHERE & ON-ORBIT PERFORMANCE LONG TERM STORAGE OF CRYOPROPELLANTS WITH MINIMAL LOSS IS REQUIRED FOR NEW EXPLORATION SPACECRAFT. MULTI-LAYER INSULATION (MLI) IS USED TO INSULATE CRYOTANKS, BUT IS A HIGH RISK FOR EARTH DEPARTURE STAGE AND ALTAIR PROPELLANT MAINTENANCE. AN ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE THERMAL INSULATION, INTEGRATED MLI, IS BEING DEVELOPED FOR NASA AS AN MLI REPLACEMENT, AND OFFERS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED THERMAL PERFORMANCE UNDER SPACE VACUUM CONDITIONS. THIS PROPOSAL IS FOR LOAD RESPONSIVE MLI (LRMLI), AN INNOVATIVE THERMAL SYSTEM THAT UNDER ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE COMPRESSES DYNAMIC POSTS TO SUPPORT AN INTEGRATED, THIN VACUUM SHELL FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE IN-ATMOSPHERE OPERATION, THEN DISCONNECTS THE POSTS DURING ON-ORBIT AND LUNAR SURFACE OPERATION TO PROVIDE ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE THERMAL INSULATION.