A thruster — the combination of an injector and chamber — roared to life in a series of tests recently at Marshall’s Test Stand 115. The distinct blue flame is produced by the thruster’s fuel, methane.
Methane is a promising fuel for the journey to Mars, as it is more stable than liquid hydrogen, can be stored at more manageable temperatures and could be produced on Mars from local resources, using in-situ resource utilization.
Data gathered from testing will be used to develop an optimized thruster assembly that could support engine designs for a Mars lander and many other in-space applications.
The distinct blue flame in recent tests is produced by the thruster’s fuel, methane. Data gathered from testing will be used to develop optimized components that could support engine designs for NASA’s next generation of exploration landers.
Marshall engineers recently performed preliminary “chill” tests on a 3-D printed turbopump to be used with a methane-powered engine. The tests, a precursor to full-scale testing, verified hardware and test instrumentation for the temperatures required during the firing of a methane engine.
The 3-D printed, methane-powered thruster consists of an injector, left, and chamber, right. The 3-D printing techniques allow Marshall engineers to incorporate thermocouple ports into the chamber’s design, which collect discrete data during testing.