AAE450
In-Situ Resource
Propellant Production
and ERV launch systems
Adam Butt
Preliminary Design Analysis
1/23/01
Overview
In-situ Propellant Production
Considerations:
• Method of production
• Type of fuel/oxidizer to be produced
• Necessary ingredients that need to be brought from
Earth
• ERV Launch system
• Necessary power requirements
Method of Production
 Sabatier Process
CO2+4H2  CH4+2H2O
 Water Electrolysis
H2O  1/2O2+H2
 Rocket Propulsion
1/2CH4+O2 CO2+H2O
Picture from JPL – Advanced Propulsion Concepts website
Method of Production
 Zirconia Cell Process
CO2  CO + O2
 Rocket Propulsion
CO + 1/2O2  CO2
Picture from JPL – Advanced Propulsion Concepts website
Method of Production
Another consideration is the production of
Methanol, CH3CH, via an in-situ method
(with a catalyst).
CO + H2  CH3OH + H2O
Rocket Propulsion
CH3OH + 3/2O2  CO2+2H2O
Production Method
Comparison
 Sabatier/H20 Electrolysis
Advantages
CH4/O2 combustion
capable of producing high
Isp~350sec
Exothermic reaction that
creates water as a side
product
Disadvantages
Must bring and store
sizeable amount of H2
from Earth
Doesn’t produce adequate
amounts of O2
Zirconia Cell Process
Advantages
All fuel and propellant
produced from in-situ
resources
Excess O2 can be
produced
Disadvantages
CO/O2 combustion
relatively low Isp~240sec
Greater overall volume
requirements(?)
Propellant Comparison
• Graphs generated with NASA TEP code
ERV Launch System
Comparison
 CO/O2 Rocket – Low Isp~240sec, but all propellant can
be produced in-situ
 CH4/O2 Rocket – Higher Isp~350sec, H2 must be
brought from Earth
 NERVA derived/CH4 (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle
Applications) – Theoretical Isp~900sec, H2 must be
brought from Earth
 Note that all the above technologies have not been
developed on the large, heavy-lift launch scale. Also the
Nuclear engine has never been flight tested
Future Work
More in-depth study into various
propellant advantages and disadvantages.
Also various in-situ techniques and their
power/mass/volume/cost comparisons
Matlab code to determine necessary
components to be brought from Earth to
support various types of in-situ propellant
production, based on delta V to return to
Earth.
Skills
Classes
Propulsion
AAE372, AAE439,
AAE539
Management
Managerial AccountingCost/Benefit Analysis
Other Proficiencies
AutoCad
SurfCam
CNC Model Building