In-Space Mass Propellant Gauging System for On-Orbit Propellant Transfer and Refueling Missions

On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM) architectures rely on a few non-existent or low-TRL technologies, including in-space propellant transfer and refueling. Fuel depots, and by extension, sustained human presence in space, require robust microgravity propellant transfer technologies, which in turn depend on low-gravity propellant mass gauging. Modal Propellant Gauging (MPG) is one of a small number of low-g propellant gauging approaches currently under development and is the only approach that is both propellant agnostic and non-invasive (no tank penetrations). MPG has demonstrated sub-1% liquid mass gauging resolution. For this Phase I proposal, GeoJump and Carthage College propose the completion of a feasibility study to evaluate MPG for a refueling demonstrator mission. The Carthage MPG team will build on data from recent suborbital and parabolic flight tests of the MPG technology and will develop performance models in support of Phase II objectives. GeoJump will define the systems engineering path forward, preliminary electrical engineering architecture with industry partners, and productization timeline for an in-space MPG demonstrator for unsettled liquid mass gauging. Together the MPG team will define a path for hardware construction during Phase II with active MPG monitoring during a refueling demonstration targeted for Phase III.