Optimal Design of Electrically Fed Hybrid Mars Ascent Vehicle

The optimal design of the propulsion system for a potential Mars Ascent Vehicle is analyzed, in the context of the Mars Sample Return Mission. The Mars Ascent Vehicle has to perform an initial ascent phase from the surface and then circularize into a 170 km orbit. A two-stage launcher is taken into account: the same hybrid rocket engine is considered for both stages in order to limit the development costs. A cluster of two, three or four engines is employed in the first stage, whereas a single engine is always used in the second stage. Concerning the feeding system, three alternatives are taken into consideration, namely a blow down, a regulated and an electric turbo-pump feed system. The latter employs an electric motor to drive the oxidizer turbopump, whereas the power is supplied to the motor by lithium batteries. All the design options resulted in viable Mars Ascent Vehicle configurations (payloads are in the range of 70–100 kg), making the hybrid alternative worth considering for the sample return mission. The use of an electric turbo-pump feed system determines the highest vehicle performance with an estimated 10–25% payload gain with respect to gas-pressure feed systems.