Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide Grzegorz Rarata Paweł Surmacz, Wojciech Florczuk Institute of Aviation Al. Krakowska 110/114, 02-256 Warsaw POLAND grzegorz.rarata@ilot.edu.pl

NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft Outline Perspectives for space propulsion systems – hydrazine vs. green propellants Requirements for a small spacecraft and satellite propulsion system Myths about hydrogen peroxide Facts about hydrogen peroxide Long-term storability and stability Compatibility with materials Detonability Handling and toxicity Our experience and practise HTP (High Test Peroxide) technology – is it reasonable Evaluation of risk for a small spacecraft and satellites Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

Perspectives for space propulsion systems NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft Perspectives for space propulsion systems Toxicity of hydrazine and its derivatives Small and medium enterprises – cost of handling of propellants Green propulsion Highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide as an alternative for hydrazine Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

Small spacecraft propulsion system NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft Small spacecraft propulsion system Mono-propellant application Physical and chemical properties of HTP Storability temperature range Lifetime of a spacecraft Structural materials compatible with hydrogen peroxide Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide myths NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft Hydrogen peroxide myths Unstable Susceptible to spontaneous, rapid decomposition Easy to detonate Causing spontaneous fires Responsible for multiple spacecraft failures Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

Facts about hydrogen peroxide NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft Facts about hydrogen peroxide Long-term storability and stability Active Oxygen Loss Storage conditions Material used for storage Dependence of H2O2 concentration and purity on its stability and storability Surface to volume ratio of the vessel Experimental results of the long term storability Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

Facts about hydrogen peroxide NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft Facts about hydrogen peroxide Compatibility with materials Classes of material compatibility Surface treatment – chemical passivation Purity of material The pH of HTP solutions Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

Facts about hydrogen peroxide NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft Facts about hydrogen peroxide Detonability Experimental approach and results Much more detonable when mixed with organic fuels Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

Facts about hydrogen peroxide NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft Facts about hydrogen peroxide Handling and toxicity Vapour pressure Effects on living organisms Contact with skin – mechanism Personnel protection Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

Our experience and practise NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft Our experience and practise Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

Our experience and practise NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft Our experience and practise Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

Our experience and practise NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft Our experience and practise 12 Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

High Test Peroxide technology NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft High Test Peroxide technology Current TRL of HTP propulsion systems Risk concerning rationality of HTP technology development Needs for green advanced space propulsion Entities developing green propulsion European projects on green propulsion Innovative technologies concerning utilization of HTP Pulsed Chemical Rocket Engine Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

Evaluation of risk for a small spacecraft NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft Evaluation of risk for a small spacecraft Threats identified Possible result Possible cause Probability of occurrence Actions to decrease the risk Decrease of HTP concentration Loss of thruster performance Incompatible material, wrong passivation Low if testing is sufficient Appropriate testing of long term storability Unexpected rapid decomposition of HTP Burst, explosion, complete failure material Very low Use materials compatible with HP Leakage, corrosion of the supply line Mechanical failure of the storage and supply material, error during integration process Low Use compatible Valve failure Thruster Impurities in the propellant, mechanical failure, wrong material Proper design and testing, valve redundancy Catalyst failure Reduced thruster Mechanical crack, loss of activity due to poisoning Long-life and multicycle appropriate testing Thruster structural failure Reduced performance or of a thruster Hard start, overheat Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft SUMMARY (1) HP offers an excellent opportunity – as an environmentally-clean and non-cryogenic propellant/oxidizer Is distinguished by reduced toxicity, lower storage and handling costs and simpler thruster/engine/device design Has a significant heritage of safe, industrial use for paper manufacture, bleaching, foaming, synthesis, electronics or fumes neutralization Highly concentrated HP (rocket grade, HTP) is the optimal propulsion medium for many technical applications Thrusters for attitude control that run on HTP have been in successful use on some satellites Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft SUMMARY (2) The advantage of using safer propellant in the form of 98% HTP for small satellite applications will be the reduction of the costs by; eliminating the need for self-contained atmospheric protective ensemble (SCAPE) suits needed for traditional toxic propellants no need for extensive and prohibitive propellant safety precautions and isolation of the space vehicle from parallel activities during propellant loading operations high fuel oxidizer ratio would minimize the need for greater amounts of fuel in the case of bipropellant high density of HTP would be crucial for the reduction of the mass of whole satellite platforms, especially small ones HTP is rather low cost compared to other satellite propellants Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide NATO AVT-210 Risk and Reliability Assessment and Validation for Small Spacecraft Potential Risk Concerning the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide