High-Performance, High Thrust, “Green” Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle for Lunar and Deep Space Missions

Flight Works is proposing to continue the development and demonstration of a high-performance Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) which enables dedicated missions to cislunar and deep space (such as Mars rendezvous) with small launchers like Virgin Orbits Launcher One and ABLs RS-1. It features a full set of avionics flight-proven in LEO. These are to be modified for deep space missions with radiation tolerant components, additional redundancy, and upgraded communication system. The high performance is enabled by Flight Works micropump-fed propulsion technology combined with the high density-specific impulse (Isp) provided by the green monopropellant ASCENT, with long life thrusters based on the technology developed for the NASA Lunar Flashlight CubeSat. For deep space missions, the green propellant can be stored cold to minimize heating power and a low-power pumped loop can be used to slightly warm the propellant prior to use. The result is a simple, versatile, cost-effective OMV with performance capabilities similar to that of a traditional bipropellant pressure-fed stage and which can be configured for dedicated cislunar and Mars missions. The OMV has approximately twice the capability of Rocket Lab upgraded Photon to be used on NASA CAPSTONE and ten times that of Momentus Vigoride. The system is scalable by decreasing or increasing tank size. Also, the use of a green propellant and low-pressure tanks minimizes range safety operations and costs. The medium thrust allows for rapid, efficient transfer compared with electric propulsion systems which have to be launched at higher orbits to avoid low altitude drag and require months to reach the targeted orbit while exposing the system to the damaging radiation of the Van Allen belts. Finally, the pump in the propulsion system enables an extension to servicing missions (with the addition of proximity operations and docking features), with the OMV acting either as client or servicer.
Benefits: NASA APPLICATIONS An OMV providing over 4.3 km/s delta-V to a nanosat payload is an enabler for many NASA lunar and interplanetary missions. These include missions with more than twice the payload of NASA’s CAPSTONE, or follow-ons to NASA’s Mars CubeSat missions MarCO-A and -B, but unlike MarCO, could enable Mars Orbit Insertion. It can also be used for NASA LEO and GEO nanosat missions, whether launched as dedicated or as secondary payloads. NON-NASA APPLICATIONS The OMV can be used for commercial and DoD missions requiring high orbital maneuver capabilities. These include dedicated missions where additional delta-V is required, as well as commercial space-tug applications, e.g. on Falcon-9 Transporter flights. The OMV capabilities can also be extended to servicing/refueling and orbital inspectors from LEO to cislunar operations.