Magnetoshell AAES (Aerobraking, Aerocapture and Entry System)

[DocM]

The Magnetoshell AAES is, in essence, an energy-plasma "force field" ballut (think: the movie 2010) that also offers radiation protection. The potential effects on missions like Mars are enormous.

And yes, it could well be like flying inside a portable aurora.

http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/niac/2012_phase_I_fellows_kirtley.html

NASA - A Plasma Aerocapture and Entry System for Manned Missions and Planetary Deep Space Orbiters

Description

Mission studies have shown that manned mars missions and deep space planetary orbiters require aerobraking and aerocapture which use aerodynamic drag forces to slow the spacecraft. The ability to utilize these atmospheres to slow down and capture spacecraft dramatically reduces the cost of future missions, launch mass, and enable long term studies of the outer planets and moons that would not be possible with current propulsive braking methodologies. The Plasma Magnetoshell Aerobraking, Aerocapture, and Entry System (Magnetoshell AAES) to be developed in this program holds the potential to perform the desired braking with significantly increased drag and control while dramatically reducing the mass required. Implementation of aerobraking by employing a solid deflector or aeroshell as a method for orbit insertion and circularization has been successfully demonstrated in the past, with mass savings greater than 50%. In order to reduce the effect of frictional heating and dynamic pressure on the typically fragile aeroshell the braking must be distributed over many orbital passes at a higher altitude in the less dense regions of the atmosphere.

The Plasma Magnetoshell is based on demonstrated experimental results and the successful implementation would dramatically decrease mission risk, launch cost, mass, and overall radiation exposure. The Plasma Magnetoshell is a high-Beta (the ratio of plasma to magnetic field energy density) dipole plasma configuration which would initially be populated with ambient atmospheric gases. This plasma is formed, sustained, and expanded with an electrodeless Rotating Magnetic Field (RMF), which has been shown in previous experiments to generate the required, fully ionized, high temperature magnetized plasma. RMF plasma formation induces large currents in the plasma that inflate and maintain the large-scale magnetic structure. The primary drag-inducing interaction between the magnetically confined plasma ions and the incoming neutral atmospheric particles is that of charge exchange, which has the largest cross section. After a charge exchange, the now magnetized atmospheric ion reacts its directional momentum (in the frame of the spacecraft) onto the magnet via field line bending and stretching.

The advantages of such a system are many. Frictional heating would no longer be of concern as the energy dissipation required to slow the spacecraft would be deposited into the plasma ions helping to maintain the magnetospheric Beta. With the Magnetoshell now being composed of massless magnetic field and a gram of plasma, the transverse scale of the magnetic barrier can be as large as 100 meters.

This means that for any given breaking drag forces on the Magnetoshell will be three orders of magnitude larger than the aerodynamic forces on the spacecraft. With the ability to rapidly and precisely modify the drag in varying atmospheric conditions, much larger braking forces can now be contemplated at low risk, enabling very aggressive aerocapture maneuvers. In addition, the Magnetoshell will shield against solar radiation. As will be shown, the mission benefits are dramatic. A NASA DRA 5.0 manned mission to Mars can be accomplished with 225 MT is mass savings and decreased programmatic and technical risk. Deep space planetary orbiters can be launched on rapid, direct trajectories decreasing trip times by more than 70%. And, with the same launch mass, a mission can be accomplished with significantly less trip time and thus, less solar and cosmic ray radiation exposure.

In Phase I a subscale Magnetoshell will be demonstrated, while in Phase II a complete, TRL 4 level system will be developed and tested. Phase I will also characterize a complete set of missions and develop a system-level architecture. At the conclusion of this program a lightweight Magnetoshell AAES will have been developed that will significantly expand the capability of both manned missions and deep space orbiters.

[DocM]

Going to Phase II!

 

MSNW are connected to the U of Washington and are also responsible for the ELF electrodeless plasma thruster, and they're working on a pulsed fusion rocket engine. 2.7 miles from SpaceX's Redmond, WA satellite factory,

 

http://www.nasa.gov/feature/magnetoshell-aerocapture-for-manned-missions-and-planetary-deep-space-orbiters

 

Magnetoshell Aerocapture for Manned Missions and Planetary Deep Space Orbiters

 

It is clear from past mission studies that a manned Mars mission, as well as deep space planetary orbiters will require aerobraking and aerocapture which use aerodynamic drag forces to slow the spacecraft. Aerocapture would enable long term studies of the outer planets and their moons that would not be possible with existing braking technologies. While utilizing planetary atmospheres to slow down and capture spacecraft would dramatically reduce the cost, launch mass, and travel time, current technologies require significant additional spacecraft mass and risk, as the spacecraft must descend deep into a planetary atmosphere that is not well characterized in order to produce significant drag on a relatively small, fixed dimension aeroshell or temperature and structurally sensitive inflatable ballute.

 

The Magnetoshell deploys a simple dipole magnetic field containing a magnetized plasma. It is interaction of the atmosphere with this magnetized plasma that supplies a significant impediment to atmospheric flow past the spacecraft, and thereby producing the desired drag for braking. Frictional heating would no longer be of concern as the energy dissipation required to slow the spacecraft would be deposited into the plasma ions helping to maintain the Magnetoshell plasma while at the same time shielding the spacecraft itself from frictional heating. With the aeroshell now being composed of massless magnetic field, the transverse scale of the magnetic barrier can be as large as 100 meters while requiring no more than a gram of plasma. With the ability to rapidly and precisely modify the drag in varying atmospheric conditions, much larger forces can now be achieved at low risk, enabling very aggressive aerocapture maneuvers. By providing power in a pulsed manner, the thermal and power processing requirements can be kept modest and with conventional technologies.

 

In Phase I a full system was designed for Neptune and Mars missions. This analysis showed that a 200 kg, 2 m magnet could generate a 9 m radius Magnetoshell for Neptune aerocapture with a 21 km/s injection at a peak force of 150 N entirely removing the need for a TPS. At Mars, a 2.5 m magnet could generate a 21 meter radius Magnetoshell, providing aerocapture for a 60 metric ton payload removing the dedicated aerocapture TPS and saving $2B for DRA 5.0. A transient analytic model was developed evolving the radial plasma parameters for a variety of plasma, neutral, and magnetic parameters. Finally, a stationary 1.6 meter argon Magnetoshell was fully demonstrated and a 1000:1 increase in aerodynamic drag was found. This experimental program definitively demonstrated a subscale Magnetoshell by eliminating electromagnetic interference, utilizing a dielectric torsional thrust stand, and placing all key electrical components under vacuum in the plasma environment. In addition, by decrease the dynamic pressure requirements while simultaneously shielding the spacecraft, heating during an Aerocapture maneuver could be reduced by 10,000X. In the proposed Phase II, the complete mission benefits of the Magnetoshell system will be proven. During this Phase II detailed mission studies will investigate the 3D orbital entry and capture mechanics while investigating the thermal, structural, electrical, and magnetic requirements of a Magnetoshell system. These studies will determine the risk, cost, and overall benefits of a full scale Magnetoshell aerocapture system for a range of science and manned missions to the inner and outer solar system. A hypersonic plasma-neutral interaction validation study will prove the fundamental particle and plasma effects at 10 to 15 km/s velocities and relevant densities. And finally, a detailed Aerocapture orbital gravity model, based on the satellite tour design program (STOUR) will be developed to model in 3D, the full dynamics of an interplanetary, 60 meter Aerocapture system.

Last Updated: May 13, 2016

[Unobscured Vision]

It's got a lot of promise. Hope it works as advertised.