Propellant, plasma devices and heat shields for sustained spaceflight.
Subjects: Space propulsion · Thermal engineering
A very low satellite could scoop up the thin atmosphere and use it as electric-thruster propellant. Can the complete intake and thruster provide sustained thrust exceeding their own drag with available onboard power and no steady stored propellant supply?
Iodine can fuel spacecraft thrusters. A hot electron source for higher-power systems must also survive the reactive iodine plasma.
Moving cold propellant between tanks on one spacecraft has been demonstrated. Can two separate spacecraft connect and transfer it reliably in orbit?
A rough patch on a hypersonic heat shield can change a smooth boundary layer into turbulent flow and increase heating. How can engineers predict the onset and heat load from the actual roughness geometry and flight conditions?