Lunar Flashlight cubesat in trouble
The mission of NASA’s test cubesat Lunar Flashlight is now threatened because of a problem with its experimental thrusters that use what the agency labels a new “green” propellant.
The spacecraft, called Lunar Flashlight, launched last month on a mission to seek out water ice on the moon. The probe was also expected to test a new “green” propellant during its four-month voyage to the moon, but its thrusters have a problem, NASA said on Thursday (Jan. 12). “While the smallsat is largely healthy and communicating with NASA’s Deep Space Network, the mission operations team has discovered that three of its four thrusters are underperforming,” NASA wrote in an update. “Based on ground testing, the team thinks that the underperformance might be caused by obstructions in the fuel lines that may be limiting the propellant flow to the thrusters.”
Engineers are now devising a plan to fire the thrusters longer and more frequently to make up for the lower thrust. If successful, the cubesat will enter its planned lunar orbit in about four months, where it will use infrared lasers to search for ice in the permanently shadowed craters at the lunar poles while testing a variety of other new technologies.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
The mission of NASA’s test cubesat Lunar Flashlight is now threatened because of a problem with its experimental thrusters that use what the agency labels a new “green” propellant.
The spacecraft, called Lunar Flashlight, launched last month on a mission to seek out water ice on the moon. The probe was also expected to test a new “green” propellant during its four-month voyage to the moon, but its thrusters have a problem, NASA said on Thursday (Jan. 12). “While the smallsat is largely healthy and communicating with NASA’s Deep Space Network, the mission operations team has discovered that three of its four thrusters are underperforming,” NASA wrote in an update. “Based on ground testing, the team thinks that the underperformance might be caused by obstructions in the fuel lines that may be limiting the propellant flow to the thrusters.”
Engineers are now devising a plan to fire the thrusters longer and more frequently to make up for the lower thrust. If successful, the cubesat will enter its planned lunar orbit in about four months, where it will use infrared lasers to search for ice in the permanently shadowed craters at the lunar poles while testing a variety of other new technologies.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Why the heck do you need a “green” propellant in the vacuum of space? The words “Green” and “Sustainable” have become curse words to me, thanks to their abuse by the climate mafia.
Gary: While I agree that the use of the word “green” is absurd and stupid, the attempt to develop propellants that are non-toxic is actually a good thing. Most attitude control thrusters today use hypergolic fuels, which ignite on contact but are extremely dangerous. If safer fuels can replace them, the future exploration of space by human beings will be enhanced greatly.
Gary,
The problem in not in space but on the ground. To handle propellants such as hydrazine, SCAPE suits (Self-Contained Atmospheric Protective Ensembles) are used to protect people from exposure to the toxic propellants. Red fuming nitric acid is another toxic propellant, an oxidizer.
I’m sure that they use the word “green” because it is in vogue, right now. People assume without research that if it is “green” then it must be good. It is like the phrase “less is more” which assumes that more is always better — except when pouring hot coffee, in which case “more” just overflows the brim, or if the pourer reaches the brim without overflowing then the cup is difficult to handle for the first few sips, so the hot coffee ends up in your lap, burning you like it did to that lady who sued McDonalds for $3 million, leading to cars now having cupholders as a standard feature. Who knew we would need SCAPE suits just to drink coffee? We also now get “sippy cup” lids on our coffee to help prevent such spills of hot liquids into our $3 million laps.
The word “green” is definitely overused and misunderstood. Same with “sustainable.” The last I heard, the Netherlands wants to ban nitrogen fertilizer due to nitrogen being a terrible and deadly poison, and they want to reduce livestock quantities because they excrete so much nitrogen. Too bad there is so much nitrogen in the air, and too bad it is so necessary for crops — there was a time when livestock manure was used as fertilizer for crops. Too bad the Dutch are going to go so hungry when this is implemented. SCAPE suits won’t help them, neither with the poisonous nitrogen nor with the hunger. Go woke, go broke; go green go hungry.
____________
What really bothers me about the Lunar Flashlight probe is its reliance on not just one but two experimental units. Not only is the propulsion system untried, the low-power computer, Sphinx, is on its shakedown cruise, too. It is more prudent to fly only one new untested system on a spacecraft so that the controllers are less likely to troubleshoot two problems simultaneously or end up with cascading problems or failures. I am assuming that the new type of laser reflectometer they are using has a track record rather than being tested for certification on this flight, and I also assume that the new Iris radio is a backup navigation system rather than the primary or only navigation system.
Gary,
The problem in not in space but on the ground. To handle propellants such as hydrazine, SCAPE suits (Self-Contained Atmospheric Protective Ensembles) are used to protect people from exposure to the toxic propellants. Red fuming nitric acid is another toxic propellant, an oxidizer. Care must still be taken with other propellants. RP1 (kerosene), methane, and LOX (liquid oxygen) are flammable and hazardous, but at least a little leak won’t melt your lungs.
I’m sure that they use the word “green” because it is in vogue, right now. People assume without research that if it is “green” then it must be good. It is like the phrase “less is more” which assumes that more is always better — except when pouring hot coffee, in which case “more” just overflows the brim, or if the pourer reaches the brim without overflowing then the cup is difficult to handle for the first few sips, so the hot coffee may end up in your lap, burning you like it did to that lady who sued McDonalds for $3 million, leading to cars now having cupholders as a standard feature. Who knew we would need SCAPE suits just to drink coffee? We also now get “sippy cup” lids on our coffee to help prevent such spills of hot liquids into our $3 million laps.
The word “green” is definitely overused and misunderstood. Same with “sustainable.” The last I heard, the Netherlands wants to ban nitrogen fertilizer due to nitrogen being a terrible and deadly poison, and they want to reduce livestock quantities because they excrete so much nitrogen. Too bad there is so much nitrogen in the air, and too bad it is so necessary for crops — there was a time when livestock manure was used as fertilizer for crops. Too bad the Dutch are going to go so hungry when this is implemented. SCAPE suits won’t help them, neither with the poisonous nitrogen nor with the hunger. Go woke, go broke; go green go hungry.
____________
What really bothers me about the Lunar Flashlight probe is its reliance on not just one but two experimental units. Not only is the propulsion system untried, the low-power computer, Sphinx, is on its shakedown cruise, too. It is more prudent to fly only one new untested system on a spacecraft so that the controllers are less likely to troubleshoot two problems simultaneously or end up with cascading problems or failures. It is also easier to have the weight budget for a backup system. I am assuming that the new type of laser reflectometer they are using has a track record rather than being tested for certification on this flight, and I also assume that the new Iris radio is a backup navigation system rather than the primary or only navigation system.
I found a link at Georgia Tech saying that that the monopropellant is named AF-M315E developed by the Air Force.
https://www.ssdl.gatech.edu/research/projects/lunar-flashlight-propulsion-system
It seems to me that this is no bad thing.. ( I’ve no idea on the whole “green” thing, so have nothing to say..), but sending up small sats to try out new tech has to be a good thing, especially if NASA is moving to this mindset… Try it, break it, learn from it, rinse and repeat.
I see nothing wrong going on here…
Usually try not to post twice, but this paper describing the use of AF-M315E from 2017 has enough technical detail including relative pricing information to lead me to think that the “green monopropellant” might even have applications for earthbound devices and amateur rocketry. There are probably dozens patents involved but with the 20-year development cycle described many patents may be near expiration. With electric turbo-pumps and catalytic heaters, and 3d-printed parts some really nice small engines could be built.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20170001286/downloads/20170001286.pdf
OK. Somebody will probably find out and tell me that the burned exhaust is toxic or something else that will cool my jets. But I haven’t done amateur rocketry for 40 years, and this looks quite practical on a small budget.
“”Hydroxyl Ammonium Nitrate fuel/oxidizer blend, known as “AF-M315E.” This innovative, low-toxicity propellant, developed by the U.S. AFRL (Air Force Research Laboratory) at Edwards Air Force Base, CA, is a high-performance, green alternative to hydrazine.””
“”AF-M315E also is expected to improve overall vehicle performance. It boasts a higher density than hydrazine, meaning more of it can be stored in containers of the same volume. In addition, it delivers a higher specific impulse, or thrust delivered per given quantity of fuel, and has a lower freezing point, requiring less spacecraft power to maintain its temperature.“”
Sounds like a great replacement, I wonder what went wrong? cube sat too hot? breaking down components?
The title “green” means it has magic and every woke scientist and engineer will recommend it or lose their job… but congressman will vote for it for the publicity.
Like the difference between green hydrogen and blue hydrogen… One is created efficiently creating more volume. The other uses renewable energy sources and cost 10 to 100 times more. (like solar panels and windmills, hydrogen cost more money to make, than the energy it produces)
Go woke, go broke.
Robert,
Sorry for the double post yesterday. I got a notice that there had been an error on your site when I submitted the first post and assumed that the post failed to go through.