Ball Aerospace: The Pioneer of Sustainable Space Propulsion
Ball Aerospace was founded in 1956 as a subsidiary of Ball Corporation, a company that specialized in metal packaging for the food and beverage industry. The company was established at the dawn of the space age, and it quickly became a leader in the aerospace industry. Ball Aerospace’s early projects included the development of the first weather satellite, TIROS-1, which was launched in 1960. The company’s founders, the Ball brothers, were known for their innovative spirit and entrepreneurial drive. They were committed to building a company that would be at the forefront of technological innovation, and they succeeded in doing so. Today, Ball Aerospace is a leading provider of advanced spacecraft, instruments, and sensors for a wide range of customers, including NASA, the Department of Defense, and commercial customers. Green Propulsion Technology for Sustainable Space Systems.
Ball Aerospace has been at the forefront of developing green propulsion technology for sustainable space systems. In 2012, the company led a green propellant technology demonstration mission for NASA, which brought together a government-industry team from multiple agencies to develop a fully operational green propellant system. The Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) was developed over three years and launched on June 25, 2019. It was the first time the nation used a spacecraft to test green propellant technology. The fuel’s exceptional storage properties are being examined for CubeSats, lunar exploration, deep space probes, and military applications.
AF-M315E Propellant:
AF-315E is a green propellant and here are some key features of it:
- It is a hydroxyl ammonium nitrate fuel and oxidizer blend.
- It is significantly less harmful to the environment than traditional rocket fuels.
- When combusted, it transforms into non-toxic gases.
- It requires fewer handling restrictions and potentially shorter launch processing times, resulting in lowered costs.
- It boasts a higher density than hydrazine, meaning more of it can be stored in containers of the same volume.
- It delivers a higher specific impulse, or thrust delivered per given quantity of fuel, and does not require heater power to prevent freezing.
In just a little over a year since launch, GPIM successfully proved the new propellant and propulsion system worked as intended. NASA announced on October 20, 2020, that the small spacecraft had safely re-entered Earth’s atmosphere after a series of deorbit burns.
Ball Aerospace’s role in the GPIM mission was as follows:
1. Prime contractor, small satellite provider, principal investigator
Built the small satellite spacecraft bus, integrated and tested the payloads and propulsion system, and provided launch and flight support.
Characterized the green fuel’s performance using Ball-developed software.
2. Ball Aerospace’s commitment to developing green propulsion technology is part of its broader mission to pioneer discoveries that enable its customers to perform beyond expectation and protect what matters most.
3. The company’s advanced data services turn information into knowledge for the defense and intelligence community, and its tactical systems support all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces with advanced C2ISR technologies.
In conclusion, Ball Aerospace has a rich history of innovation and technological leadership in the aerospace industry. The company’s founders, the Ball brothers, were committed to building a company that would be at the forefront of technological innovation, and they succeeded in doing so. Today, Ball Aerospace is a leading provider of advanced spacecraft, instruments, and sensors for a wide range of customers. The company’s commitment to developing green propulsion technology for sustainable space systems is part of its broader mission to pioneer discoveries that enable its customers to perform beyond expectation and protect what matters most.
