Comparison of Xenon, Krypton, and Argon for a 1,000 kg payload mission to Lunar Flyby (TLI) and return.
System: 10x Turion TIE-20 GEN2 Thrusters (20kW Total Power).
ISP and Thrust are scaled based on atomic mass. Lighter gases (Argon) have higher ISP (efficiency) but lower Thrust (slower acceleration) for the same power input.
| Parameter | Xenon (Xe) | Krypton (Kr) | Argon (Ar) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atomic Mass | 131.3 u | 83.8 u | 39.9 u |
| Estimated ISP | 4,500 s | 5,600 s | 8,100 s |
| Total Thrust (10x Cluster) | 550 mN | 440 mN | 305 mN |
| Est. Outbound Trip Time (LEO to TLI) |
~240 Days (0.65 Years) |
~300 Days (0.82 Years) |
~450 Days (1.23 Years) |
| Time Constraint Check | PASS | PASS | FAIL (>1 Year) |
Calculated for total ΔV = 14,000 m/s (7km/s out, 7km/s back). Argon requires significantly less reaction mass due to high ISP.
| Component | Xenon Mass | Krypton Mass | Argon Mass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reaction Mass (Outbound) | 350 kg | 285 kg | 185 kg |
| Reaction Mass (Return) | 126 kg | 95 kg | 55 kg |
| Total Reaction Mass | 476 kg | 380 kg | 240 kg |
| Tank Mass (15% of fuel) | 72 kg | 57 kg | 36 kg |
| Tug Dry Mass (Hardware) | 630 kg | 630 kg | 630 kg |
| Payload | 1,000 kg | 1,000 kg | 1,000 kg |
| TOTAL LAUNCH MASS | 2,178 kg | 2,067 kg | 1,906 kg |
Values represent the Total Cost / 1000.
| Scenario | Xenon System ($1.43M fuel cost) |
Krypton System ($152k fuel cost) |
Argon System ($4.8k fuel cost) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1) Disposable Tug (Hardware + Fuel + Launch included) | |||
| High Launch Cost ($1000/kg) |
$8,606 / kg | $7,219 / kg | $6,911 / kg |
| Low Launch Cost ($200/kg) |
$6,864 / kg | $5,565 / kg | $5,386 / kg |
| 2) Reusable Tug (Fuel + Launch of Fuel + Launch of Payload only) | |||
| High Launch Cost ($1000/kg) |
$2,904 / kg | $1,532 / kg | $1,245 / kg |
| Low Launch Cost ($200/kg) |
$1,723 / kg | $428 / kg | $259 / kg |