Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman has completed a successful ground test of the rocket motor that could power the first-ever orbital launch from another planet. This solid-fuel booster is a key component in the effort to bring geological samples back from Mars.
Mars Sample Return: A Global Scientific Endeavor
The Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission stands as one of the most complex and ambitious undertakings in space exploration history.An international team of collaborators designed this project to retrieve Martian samples and transport them to Earth for comprehensive scientific analysis.
While the concept may seem straightforward, executing it is anything but. The mission has already begun, with NASA’s Perseverance rover actively gathering rock and soil samples on Mars using a robotic arm and drilling system.The Perseverance rover seals some of these samples in tubes and places them on the Martian surface, where they will stay until a future lander delivers a specialized retrieval rover.
At that point, the new rocket system will play its crucial role. Once the second rover retrieves the cached samples, it will place them into a container that a robotic arm will load onto NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) — the first rocket designed to launch from the surface of another world.
Specs and Mission Profile of the MAV
The MAV will stand approximately 10 feet (3 meters) tall and weigh around 992 pounds (450 kilograms). It will be made up of two solid rocket stages along with essential electronics, sensors, and guidance systems. Once fired, the rocket is expected to accelerate to 2.5 miles per second (4 kilometers per second), achieving low Mars orbit in roughly 10 minutes. There, it will meet another spacecraft that will capture the sample container and carry it back to Earth.
Fuel Testing for Extreme Space Conditions
Recently, engineers at Northrop Grumman’s facility in Elkton, Maryland, conducted static fire tests on the rocket’s second stage, focusing on how it performs using a newly formulated propellant.Although Northrop Grumman has not disclosed the exact composition, the team based the fuel on a proven design similar to that used in the company’s STAR motors. They likely formulated it with ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (APCP) mixed with aluminum powder in a rubber-like binder. Engineers favor this type of fuel for its ability to endure harsh space conditions and comply with planetary protection protocols.
NASA
A notable feature of the test was the rocket’s rapid spinning during ignition, indicating the MAV will use spin stabilization to maintain flight stability during launch.
With this third successful full-scale static test, we’ve validated a nearly flight-ready design built with space-proven materials and propellants,” said Jeff Bemis, program manager for the Mars Ascent Propulsion System (MAPS) at Northrop Grumman. “We’ve previously reached Mars using similar technologies, and our components continue to meet the rigorous demands of space travel and planetary protection.
Read the original article on: New Atlas
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