Power and Propulsion at NASA Glenn Research Center: Historic Perspective of Major Accomplishments

Propulsion and power have long been core competencies of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center (GRC). At the dawn of the space era, the center brought key propulsion and power technology to support spacecraft development. This paper serves as an introduction to a series of papers describing the highlights of the GRC’s power and propulsion research and development efforts. The power papers cover solar and nuclear power generation and energy conversion, energy storage (focusing on batteries, flywheels, and fuel cells), power systems, and power management and distribution. The propulsion papers cover chemical propulsion, cryogenic propellant systems, electric propulsion, and nuclear thermal rocket propulsion. Each paper addresses some history, current efforts, and future plans for each of the technology areas.