This paper discusses alternative methods for enabling human explorers to achieve long range mobility on the surface of Mars. Vehicle types considered include ground rovers, winged and lighter-than air atmospheric vehicles, and suborbital ballistic vehicles making use of rocket propulsion. Energy sources considered for such vehicles include batteries, fuel cells, radioisotope generators, solar p...

Initial microgravity research centered around solving space flight problems created by the reduction in gravity’s effects experienced on orbit. How do you get the proper amount of fuel to a rocket engine in space or water to an astronaut on a spacewalk? The brief periods of microgravity available in drop towers at the Lewis Research Center and the Marshall Space Flight Center were sufficient to...

Aluminum hydride or alane AlH3 is a very important and fascinating material that has recently attracted attention for its potential for different purposes [1, 2]: (i) as an energetic component in rocket propellants, (ii) as a reducing agent in alkali batteries and (iii) as a possible hydrogen source for low temperature fuel cells. For hydrogen storage, this material will be an excellent candida...

Large explosive class 1.3 solid .propellant rocket motors utilizing polybutadiene binder, aluminum fuel, and ammonium perchlorate oxidizer are typically considered explosively vlsafell. That is, the required stimulus is so large that motor detonation is extremely unlikely, even when donored by a sizeable high explosive charge. Two large ground cratering events have occurred during recent years ...

Hypersonic air breathing propulsion system has been in the minds of human being for a very long time. Ramjet propulsion provides efficient operation along with very high specific thrust and is very attractive for gun launch ramjet projectiles, hypersonic cruise vehicles and hypervelocity missiles. In the present investigation, Zr based fuel rich propellants in NC-NG matrix and HTPB matrix were ...