Spacecraft May Soon Have Solar Electric Propulsion

Officials at the American space agency announce that five important companies have just been selected for a new round of NASA grants. This time, the money is being awarded for studies that would lead to plans and proposals concerning the creation of a spacecraft powered by solar electric propulsion.

The most important requirement the agency has is for these systems to work properly in space, even as the probes carrying them move farther and farther away from the Sun. What NASA wants to do is expand its space capabilities beyond chemical propulsion.

Despite incontestable advances made in fuel and rocket technologies, the fact of the matter remains that we still send cargo and humans into space by filling a stick with fuel, and then lighting it at one end. The agency wants to move away from this, to more advanced propulsion methods.

The Sun seems the obvious choice, defying us with its tremendous energy output for not being able to harness it. Representatives from the agency say that they want to know whether it's possible to move spacecraft in space powered by the Sun entirely, or not.

According to NASA, the future of human exploration missions in deep space may be entirely dependent on these new proposals, since standard chemical fuels cannot hope to take spacecraft on journeys lasting years to decades.

“The ability to move payloads reliably and cost effectively to high Earth orbits and beyond is critical for deep space human exploration,” an official press release from the space agency explains.

“The mission concept studies will identify technology gaps and look at innovative technical solutions for transportation using solar electric propulsion systems,” the statement goes on to say.

A total of $3 million were awarded to the five companies, for developing mission concepts that will include solar electric propulsion technologies, capabilities, and infrastructure required for sustainable, affordable human presence in space in the near future.

The selected companies are Hampton, Virginia-based Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc., Boulder, Colorado-based Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation, the Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation.

“NASA will use the studies to plan and implement a future flight demonstration mission that will test and validate key capabilities and technologies. NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program is funding the studies,” the press release says.

“The Space Technology Office at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is managing the contracts,” the document concludes.