RADIATION-COOLED, BIPROPELLANT THRUST CHAMBERS ARE BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE ASCENT/DESCENT ENGINES AND REAC…

Public award description

RADIATION-COOLED, BIPROPELLANT THRUST CHAMBERS ARE BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE ASCENT/DESCENT ENGINES AND REACTION CONTROL SYSTEMS (RCS) FOR FUTURE NASA MISSIONS SUCH AS MARS SAMPLE RETURN. CURRENTLY, IRIDIUM-LINED RHENIUM COMBUSTION CHAMBERS ARE THE STATE-OF-THE-ART FOR IN-SPACE ENGINES. NASA'S ADVANCED MATERIALS BIPROPELLANT ROCKET (AMBR) ENGINE, A 150-LBF RHENIUM-IRIDIUM CHAMBER PRODUCED BY PLASMA PROCESSES, INC. (PPI) AND AEROJET, RECENTLY SET A HYDRAZINE SPECIFIC IMPULSE RECORD OF 333.5 SECONDS. TO WITHSTAND THE HIGH LOADS DURING TERRESTRIAL LAUNCH, RHENIUM CHAMBERS WITH IMPROVED MECHANICAL PROPERTIES ARE NEEDED, I.E., 40KSI YIELD STRENGTH AND 10% ELONGATION AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. RECENT ELECTROCHEMICAL FORMING (EL-FORM) WORK HAS SHOWN CONSIDERABLE PROMISE FOR IMPROVING THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF RHENIUM BY PRODUCING A MULTI-LAYERED DEPOSIT COMPRISED OF A TAILORED MICROSTRUCTURE, I.E., ENGINEERED RE. IN ADDITION, THE MULTI-COMPONENT PROCESSING ABILITY OF THE EL-FORM PROCESS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE COST OF PRODUCING ADVANCED RHENIUM-IRIDIUM THRUST CHAMBERS. THEREFORE, PPI AND ITS INDUSTRY PARTNER, AEROJET, WILL WORK TOGETHER TO DEVELOP RHENIUM BASED IN-SPACE ENGINES WITH IMPROVED MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AT A REDUCED COST.