Propellants are chemical substances used in pressurized gas or production of energy which are for generating propulsion of objects like projectiles and vehicles. They are commonly energetic materials consisting of fuel like oxidizer, rocket or jet fuels and gasoline. These produce gas by burning or decomposing but others are liquids that could be vaporized.
Aircraft and rockets use them in producing gas or exhausted material that is expelled through nuzzle for creating thrust. This material either could be liquid, gas, or plasma, and liquid, solid or gel before a chemical reaction has happened. These are cached inside propellant depots on orbit around Earth that lets spacecraft be refueled there.
This allows launching of spacecrafts from Earth without carrying all the required fuel making more available area for hardware storage. This will potentially make completing the mission much easier because the needed items could be sent by having fewer launches. They would function like gas stations on space to refuel some journeying vehicles.
Space agencies, commercial companies, defense ministries, and communication satellites are potential users for this technology. Extending the lifetime of satellites placed in a geosynchronous orbit after nearly consuming all their fuel meant for orbital maneuvering is now possible. The satellite will need to approach depot or the other way around.
Depots like these are on low earth orbit with their primary functions to provide propellant to the transfer stage which are headed to moon or Mars. Smaller launch vehicles could be used to increase flight rates because their costs are lower. A depot can also be placed at the Lagrange point 1 and on orbit of Mars that reduces costs in traveling there.
Propellant takes a large portion of total mass of rockets during launch and because of this, there are some advantages in using depots. Less structural mass is required for spacecrafts because they could be launched unfueled or tankers can serve as second stage when reusable. This would also create a market for refueling in orbit where competition for delivering them makes their prices cheaper.
Some issues in engineering design for depots have not been tested yet in space or orbit servicing missions. These issues include refrigeration equipment maturity, usage for reboost and attitude control, settling and transfer, and requirements for reduced boiloff facilities. Transferring these fuels are difficult in places with no gravity since liquids tend to float away from inlet.
Refilling should also be done by operators of that certain depot with launching tanker rockets that are full of new fuel. Most agencies prefer to be purchasers rather than owners so the facilities would probably be privately operated by the commercial companies. Chemical propulsion tugs that has a short range may be used to simplify docking vehicles and rockets.
Research and trials have been done more by agencies to determine properly the feasibility of projects like these. More commercial companies will become interested because this technology is a new market that can be taken advantage of. It will make their plans in having space tourism more viable within a shorter time with the success of these trials.
Aircraft and rockets use them in producing gas or exhausted material that is expelled through nuzzle for creating thrust. This material either could be liquid, gas, or plasma, and liquid, solid or gel before a chemical reaction has happened. These are cached inside propellant depots on orbit around Earth that lets spacecraft be refueled there.
This allows launching of spacecrafts from Earth without carrying all the required fuel making more available area for hardware storage. This will potentially make completing the mission much easier because the needed items could be sent by having fewer launches. They would function like gas stations on space to refuel some journeying vehicles.
Space agencies, commercial companies, defense ministries, and communication satellites are potential users for this technology. Extending the lifetime of satellites placed in a geosynchronous orbit after nearly consuming all their fuel meant for orbital maneuvering is now possible. The satellite will need to approach depot or the other way around.
Depots like these are on low earth orbit with their primary functions to provide propellant to the transfer stage which are headed to moon or Mars. Smaller launch vehicles could be used to increase flight rates because their costs are lower. A depot can also be placed at the Lagrange point 1 and on orbit of Mars that reduces costs in traveling there.
Propellant takes a large portion of total mass of rockets during launch and because of this, there are some advantages in using depots. Less structural mass is required for spacecrafts because they could be launched unfueled or tankers can serve as second stage when reusable. This would also create a market for refueling in orbit where competition for delivering them makes their prices cheaper.
Some issues in engineering design for depots have not been tested yet in space or orbit servicing missions. These issues include refrigeration equipment maturity, usage for reboost and attitude control, settling and transfer, and requirements for reduced boiloff facilities. Transferring these fuels are difficult in places with no gravity since liquids tend to float away from inlet.
Refilling should also be done by operators of that certain depot with launching tanker rockets that are full of new fuel. Most agencies prefer to be purchasers rather than owners so the facilities would probably be privately operated by the commercial companies. Chemical propulsion tugs that has a short range may be used to simplify docking vehicles and rockets.
Research and trials have been done more by agencies to determine properly the feasibility of projects like these. More commercial companies will become interested because this technology is a new market that can be taken advantage of. It will make their plans in having space tourism more viable within a shorter time with the success of these trials.
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