Northrop Grumman has successfully completed ground testing of an engine that could be used in the historic first launch of a rocket from extraterrestrial orbit. The solid rocket booster is designed to help bring back the first geological samples from Mars.Mars sample return(MSR) mission is one of the most ambitious space missions ever undertaken. The international collaboration involves a series of spacecraft whose main task is to bring the first Martian samples back to Earth for detailed laboratory analysis.
Ground test firing of new MAV second stage engine
It sounds simple, but the logistics are incredibly complex. The first phase has begun, as NASA's Perseverance rover is traveling across Mars, using its robotic arm and drilling system to collect soil and rock samples. Some of these samples are put into special vials and then dropped to the Martian surface, where they will be stored for several years until the landing craft brings a second, more specialized Mars rover to collect the samples and store them in a special container.
This is where new rocket engines come into play. The rover's final mission is to return to the lander, where a robotic arm will retrieve the sample container and transfer it to NASA's Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) - the first rocket ever launched to another planet.
The MAV is about 3 meters (10 feet) tall and weighs about 450 kilograms (992 pounds). It consists of a two-stage solid rocket, avionics, sensors and servos. After launch, it is designed to reach a speed of 4 kilometers per second (2.5 miles per second), enough to deliver its payload into low Mars orbit in about 10 minutes. There, it will rendezvous with another spacecraft that will carry the sample container back to Earth.
The recent test at Northrop Grumman's research and development center in Elkton, Maryland, was designed to test the MAV's second stage, specifically its performance using a new propellant mixture. The propellant is based on a similar propellant used in the company's STAR rocket engines. Its exact properties and specifications have not been released, but it is likely to be an ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (APCP), in which powdered aluminum fuel is mixed with a rubbery polymer. This propellant has been proven to be well suited for the extreme conditions of space and meets current planetary protection requirements.
Artist’s conception of MAV
An interesting phenomenon during the static test is that the rocket rotates at high speed during the combustion process. This indicates that the MAV will maintain its course during Mars launch through a rotational stabilization device.
"With this third successful full-scale static test, we have demonstrated a near-flight-ready design using proven space materials and propellants," said Jeff Bemis, Northrop Grumman Mars Ascent Propulsion System (MAPS) program manager. "We have previously used similar materials and propellants for Mars landings. Our materials and propellants have proven reliability and are well suited for extreme space conditions and planetary protection requirements."
Source: Northrop Grumman Corporation