Multi-Environment MLI: Novel Multi-Functional Insulation for Mars Missions

NASA has critical needs for improved cryogenic storage technology, including active and passive insulation. Mars missions have other demanding requirements, including the ability for low heat flux in Mars atmosphere, as well as during in-space travel, with durability and low mass. Quest designed, built, tested and demonstrated good performance from new Multi-Environment MLI (MEMLI) technology, which offers thin, lightweight vacuum shells supported by IMLI layers and spacers. MEMLI may offer one third to one half the heat flux of equal layers of conventional netting-MLI, with a thin 0.010� Al vacuum shell, and MEMLI may have one-third the mass of conventional MLI and conventional vacuum shell. MEMLI, with equal heat flux in-space and on-Mars, and providing sufficient durability at low mass, is a strong candidate to insulate LOX or LCH4 storage tanks from Mars surface liquefaction activities, may prove useful for Mars Lander/Ascent Vehicle cryogenic management needs, and the thin vacuum shell offers better thermal performance in-air than SOFI, with a relatively durable metal vacuum shell, potentially offering new capabilities insulating launch vehicles. Thin, lightweight vacuum shells may provide new capabilities and benefits for NASA space exploration missions and spacecraft.

Quest Thermal develops & promotes new technologies. IMLI will fly on GPIM, IMLI will fly on a RRM3 flight experiment, Quest is working with ULA on several new technologies for launch vehicles. Clearly, an insulation system designed for outstanding performance for Mars missions will have limited non-NASA use, although, perhaps SpaceX might benefit from this technology. MEMLI provided good thermal performance and potentially provides new capabilities and benefits for launch vehicles and spacecraft, depending on their mission and requirements. MEMLI, for example, provides a lower heat flux than Spray On Foam Insulation, at near equal mass, with much greater robustness than SOFI. Several aerospace prime contractors are now following with interest Quest and Ball Aerospace development of IMLI and related insulation systems. LRMLI (and variants such as CLRMLI or VCMLI) could significantly improve upper stage cryotank thermal insulation, reducing cryopropellant boiloff losses and increasing payload capacity for missions with long coasts. Use of high performance VCMLI to replace SOFI would improve payload capacity in cryogenic upper stages, such as Vulcan and SLS. ULA funded in 2016 a subcontract to Ball and Quest to do early development and testing of VCMLI, in hopes of using it on an upcoming Delta IV Heavy mission, NROL-44, where the VCMLI would reduce boiloff from the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage LH2 tank. More »