The Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts (RASC) activity is funded by the Office of Aerospace Technology to study alternate approaches to achieving NASA's missions that may occur beyond traditional planning horizons. In support of these alternate approaches, RASC identifies the benefits of advanced technology application and documents any other necessary enabling capabilities in support of the advanced mission concepts and architectures. The focus of this activity is for missions that would occur between 2015 and 2030. RASC studies leverage expertise across NASA to ensure a broad systems perspective to assess impacts of innovative ideas and advanced technologies.

7820 Participation

The systems analysis branch supports the RASC program through mission and systems analysis of both high thrust (NTR - Nuclear Thermal Rockers) and low thrust (NEP - Nuclear Electric Propulsion/SEP - Solar Electric Propulsion) propulsion system options as well as design and CAD drawings of vehicle concepts (NEP, NTR, and Advanced Chemical), packaging, deployment, etc.

RASC Studies Participated in to date

• Human Outer Planet Exploration (HOPE) - Callisto (2002)
• Venus Robotic Exploration Mission Concept (2003)
• Earth Observation Telescope at L2 (2003)

NASA Technical Papers and Reports

• "High Power Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) for Cargo and Propellant Transfer Missions in Cislunar Space", Falck, Robert D.; Borowski, Stanley K., NASA/TM-2003-212227, July 2003.
• ""Bimodal" Nuclear Thermal Rocket (BNTR) Propulsion for an Artificial Gravity HOPE Mission to Callisto", Borowski, Stanley K.; McGuire, Melissa L.; Mason, Lee M.; Gilland, James H.; Packard, Thomas W, STAIF, 2-5 February 2003
• "High Power MPD Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) for Artificial Gravity HOPE Missions to Callisto," McGuire, Melissa L.; Borowski, Stanley K.; Mason, Lee M.; Gilland, James, STAIF, 2-5 February 2003

Other Links of Interest to RASC

• RASC Main Page
• NASA Strategic Enterprise
• NASA Office of The Chief Technologist
• NASA Langley Research Center
• NASA Technology Inventory System
• Universities Space Research Association
• NIAC

Points of Contact

7820

Melissa McGuire (Melissa.McGuire@grc.nasa.gov)

Tom Packard (Thomas.W.Packard@grc.nasa.gov)

• 1999-01-2449.pdf
• AIAA-93-4170.pdf
• AIAA-95-2812.pdf
• AIAA-96-2810.pdf

• AIAA-97-2956.pdf
• AIAA-98-3591.pdf
• AIAA-98-3883.pdf
• NASA_CR-198427.pdf

• NASA_CR-198517.pdf
• NASA_CR-204666.pdf
• NASA-TM-106406.pdf
• NASA-TM-1990-103234.pdf

• NASA-TM-2000-210243.pdf
• NASA-TM-2002-211314.pdf
• NASA-TM-2002-211599.pdf
• NASA-TM-2002-211871.pdf

• NASA-TM-2002-211892.pdf
• NASA-TM-2002-211893.pdf
• NASA-TM-2003-212227.pdf
• NASA-TM-2003-212315.pdf
• STAIF-2003-177.pdf