HIGH POWER ELECTRIC PROPULSION CONCEPTS ASSESSMENT FOR ENHANCED MISSION CAPABILITY

HIGH SPECIFIC IMPULSE ELECTRIC PROPULSION CONCEPTS WILL BE INVESTIGATED FOR OPERATION IN THE 0.1-5 MW POWER RANGE TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE PROPELLANT MASS REQUIREMENTS AND SUBSEQUENT COST, OVER CHEMICAL PROPULSION, FOR ORBIT TRANSFER FROM LOW EARTH ORBIT, STATION KEEPING AND SUBTLE EVASIVE MANEUVERING OF SDI PAYLOADS. A DATA BASE DOCUMENTING DIFFERENT ELECTRIC PROPULSION CONCEPTS WILL BE DEVELOPED WHICH WILL INCLUDE A TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE PRESENT STATE OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE FEASIBILITY OF USING THESE CONCEPTS AT INPUT POWER LEVELS FROM 0.1-5 MW. SYSTEM SCALING RELATIONSHIPS AND PERFORMANCE PROJECTION EXPRESSIONS WILL BE DERIVED AND PARAMETRIC TRADEOFF STUDIES PERFORMED FOR POTENTIAL SDI ELECTRIC PROPULSION MISSION APPLICATIONS. KEY TECHNOLOGY DRIVER ISSUES WILL BE IDENTIFIED AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FORMULATED, INCLUDING MOST MAJOR MILESTONES, FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS TECHNOLOGY.