CREARE LLC — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: S4

Description

<p>Reducing the inert mass of propulsion systems in sample return spacecraft will reduce their launch costs and increase opportunity for these missions. Compared to a pressure-fed system, a propellant pump-fed system can significantly reduce overall propulsion system mass, especially for a system with high propellant throughput. To address this need, we propose to develop a compact, lightweight electrically driven propellant pump that can achieve a high pressure rise to increase the thruster chamber pressure, and thus the propellant specific impulse. The pump operates at very high speeds to achieve a high pressure rise, high power density, and high efficiency. The miniature pump impeller is produced by Creare&rsquo; proprietary fabrication processes to achieve high hydrodynamic efficiency. The fabrication process is built on Creare&rsquo;s space-qualified, high-speed miniature turbomachine technology. In Phase I, we will demonstrate the feasibility of our approach through detailed design analyses for the propellant pump and assessment of its performance benefits over a pressure-fed system, as well as demonstration of critical component technology. In Phase II, we will build and test a propellant pump and delivery it to NASA for further evaluation<em>.</em></p>