Stay Cool—Alternatives for Long-Term Storage of Large Quantities of Liquid Hydrogen on a Mars Transfer Vehicle

Improved methods for storing liquid hydrogen in larger quantities and over longer periods of time in space are becoming progressively more critical as sights are once again set on Mars. Current storage methods involve the venting of vaporized hydrogen to space, with the consequence that significant amounts of hydrogen are wasted. Extra hydrogen must be stored to account for this loss resulting in unnecessary mass penalties. Eliminating this waste can reduce overall mission mass, extend mission range, and perhaps most importantly, lower mission trip times and costs. This technical note explores alternative methods for storing liquid hydrogen with an emphasis on missions to Mars as laid out by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s current design reference architecture.