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Xenon Reprocessing

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Federal

Contract Overview

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AI Contract Overview

NASA’s Glenn Research Center is seeking a contractor to reprocess recovered xenon gas from electric propulsion system testing, where high purity xenon is used as a propellant and subsequently captured in cryogenic pumps during ground tests. The collected gas, mixed with other atmospheric gases, is transferred via oil-free mechanical pumps into ambient-pressure storage bladders and then moved to high-pressure cylinders for storage. The goal is to either purify this recovered mixture back to high purity xenon or exchange it for an equivalent volume of new high purity xenon, significantly reducing costs compared to purchasing fresh gas. The contract is anticipated to span five years, with delivery orders issued for reprocessing volumes between 5,000 and 50,000 liters per order, totaling an estimated 520,000 liters over the contract period, though actual requirements may vary based on evolving testing needs. The work will support ongoing propulsion research by enabling sustainable reuse of expensive propellant resources.

General Info

Five-year contract to purify or exchange 520,000 liters of recovered high purity xenon gas.

Agency

National Aeronautics And Space Administration → Glenn Research Center

NAICS

325120 - Industrial Gas ManufacturingView NAICS

Place of Performance

Not specified

Set-Aside

NONE

Documents

(0)

No documents available

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Timeline

PostedMay 25

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Organization & Contact Information

AgencyNational Aeronautics And Space Administration → Glenn Research Center

ContactsNo contacts available

OfficeN/A

Organization / Agency

National Aeronautics And Space Administration → Glenn Research Center

Office AddressN/A

ContactsNo contact information available

Full Description

NASA uses high purity xenon (HP-Xe) gas as a propellent with electric propulsion systems, which are operated in ground test facilities that simulate the space environment. Much of this propellant is captured in cryogenic pumps throughout testing, along with other pumped gases, and then recovered when the testing is complete. Dedicated, oil-free mechanical pumping systems are used to transfer the resulting gas mixture (xenon plus other atmospheric gases) from the test chambers into ambient-pressure storage bladders. This collected gas is then transferred to high pressure gas cylinders for ease of storage and transport. The Government desires to have this recovered gas mixture purified or exchanged for HP-Xe for future electric propulsion system testing. The cost of either purification or exchange is expected to be much lower than the purchase cost of new HP-Xe. At this time, the Government anticipates awarding a five-year contract. Over the course of this contract, delivery orders would be issued for individual reprocessing requirements ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 Liters at one time. The total estimated requirement for the five-year period is currently around 520,000 Liters. These values are estimates only and subject to change as Government requirements shift.