THERMASAT, INC. — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: Z8

Description

The Solar Powered Rocket with Impulsive Thermal Engine (SPRITE) combines the high performance of a nuclear thermal rocket with the simplicity of solar thermal propulsion. The system operates by collecting solar power and storing energy in a high temperature phase change material. This allows the SPRITE to minimize solar collector area by gathering energy over a period of time and releasing it quickly for propulsion. The SPRITE uses an upgraded ThermaSat Plus engine design, complete with deployable solar collectors and hydrogen propellant.nbsp;The SPRITE is able to achieve high thrust propulsion with and Isp of ~830s while maintaining a total spacecraftnbsp;wet mass below 200kg. It is capable of delivering 50kg of small satellite payload to the Moon from LEO. Once delivered, the spacecraft can be reclaimed or disposed of on the lunar surface.nbsp;Unlike nuclear thermal systems, there is no hazardous material on board the SPRITE and no long term nuclear drawbacks. Yet it is still able to achieve a comparable Isp and high thrust propulsion. Unlike other solar thermal concepts, the SPRITE has a very high thrust to weight and does not need to have collectors faced towards the Sun when firing. The end result is a versatile, reliable, and effective vehicle for transporting payloads to the Moon.nbsp;