Dynamic test results of a proposed GPHS support system and housing for application in an Advanced Radioisotope Power System

This paper presents a detailed description of Orbital Science Corporation's (OSC) design of a new support system for the General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) using the aeroshell's existing indentations for interlocking the heat source modules. The housing and support system were recently fabricated and tested to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) draft Advanced Radioisotope Power System (ARPS) test requirements at the the Department of Energy's (DoE) Mound facility in Miamisburg, Ohio, USA. The paper presents the test environments and results. This paper also illustrates some of the latest ARPS system design concepts using this specific support system and housing for future deep space missions.