Description: Sustainable cislunar development requires improved methods for cryogenic fluid management, particularly for removing vapor bubbles. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)’s Suborbital Testing of Liquid Acquisition Devices (LAD) for Cryogenic Fluid Management project addresses this need by employing a tapered channel that passively pumps out internally generated vapor bubbles. Rather than relying on capillary force, the LAD employs surface tension to remove bubbles, eliminating costly thrusting maneuvers or active separation systems. This has the potential to substantially improve the reliability of cryogenic transfer processes. Problem Statement Improvement of cryogenic fluid storage and transfer technology for in-space propulsion systems is required for long-term human explorations beyond low Earth orbit as identified in the NASA Technology Roadmap Technology Area (TA) 02: In-Space Propulsion. Current technology relies on the capillary force within screened channels of a Liquid Acquisition Device (LAD) to deliver vapor-free cryogenic liquid during engine restart and critical transfer processes. However, due to the low temperatures associated with cryogenic fluids, external heating acting on the tank where this fluid is stored will cause vapor bubbles to form within the LAD that are difficult to remove in existing designs. A more efficient design is needed to reliably remove vapor bubbles without costly thrusting maneuvers or active separation systems. Technology Maturation A small modification to a commonly used LAD is proposed: a tapered channel. This design passively removes or 'pumps-out' cryogenic vapor bubbles that are internally generated, substantially improving transfer or delivery of cryogenic fluids. The goal of this flight test is to increase the TRL of this tapered channel LAD design to TRL 5 by characterizing its performance in a relevant environment aboard a suborbital vehicle that can provide multiple minutes of high-quality microgra

Benefits: Data generated by this experiment will directly benefit NASA in-space propulsion technology by strengthening the knowledge of fundamental forces that affect gas and liquid behavior in microgravity. Improving and validating the tapered liquid acquisition device designs could ultimately reduce costs associated with complex propellant tank designs and propellant loss from thrusting in order to orient the ullage in the tank. This would benefit NASA missions and the commercial space industry. Future Customers • Long-term cryogenic storage and transfer • In-space propulsion systems • Satellite refueling • Thermal/fluid systems requiring phase separation