Future Power Solutions for Exploring Hypothesized Surfaces – 03G

INSTITUTION

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

CLASS

Platinum Class (2025 – 2026)

STUDENT TEAM

ACADEMIC GUIDANCE

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Asteroid (16) Psyche is a deep space metallic asteroid, which the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and scientists hypothesize to be the exposed core of a planetesimal. Since we cannot examine Earth’s core directly, the asteroid Psyche presents a unique opportunity to gain insight into the interior of Earth and the terrestrial planets. This capstone project serves as a preconceptual study for the usage of an Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) to power a future surface mission to asteroid Psyche. Using the decay heat from a Plutonium-238 radioisotope, the conversion efficiency from the ASRG exceeds other Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) while utilizing a fourth of the radioisotope mass. However, the ASRG has not been realized in NASA deep space missions due to the termination of the program prior to flight qualification. 1-D analysis and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) are utilized to determine if the implemented cooling methods are sufficient to disperse the thermal energy rejected by the Stirling converter. By utilizing meaningful assumptions, a simplified 1-D thermal circuit containing component temperatures and heat transfer characteristics was formulated to determine the total heat dissipation from the proposed system within the given environment. It was concluded that the proposed power system design provided sufficient heat dissipation for feasible use in non-atmospheric environments, such as the surface of the Psyche. Information gained from this investigation will inform the design, validation and operational planning of future deep space missions to objects like the Psyche asteroid.

This work was created in partial fulfillment of the Virginia Commonwealth University Capstone Course “ENGR 402” and “MNE 520.” The work is a result of the Psyche Student Collaborations component of NASA’s Psyche Mission (https://psyche.ssl.berkeley.edu). “Psyche: A Journey to a Metal World” [Contract number NNM16AA09C] is part of the NASA Discovery Program mission to solar system targets. Trade names and trademarks of ASU and NASA are used in this work for identification only. Their usage does not constitute an official endorsement, either expressed or implied, by Arizona State University or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of ASU or NASA.