NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

"There are no passengers on spaceship Earth. We are all crew."
-- Marshall McLuhan, 20th-century Canadian philosopher
Efficiency has long been a key driver in our nation's journey to space. We seek hardware, system and power solutions that optimize performance, giving us the greatest value for our investment. But in the 21st century, additional factors help drive our mission of space exploration -- factors closer to home. Now we seek "green" alternatives to the historically efficient but environmentally hazardous propellants that have seen us to this point in our journey

The Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) project will demonstrate the practical capabilities of AF-M315E, a high-performance green alternative to hydrazine. This innovative, low-toxicity propellant is expected to improve overall vehicle performance. 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 it has a lower freezing point, requiring less spacecraft power to maintain its temperature.

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