NASA's current technology has limited them to manned space missions lasting less than two weeks and only reaching as far as Earth's moon. This is largely because the current fuel storage systems cannot maintain cryogenic fuel at the proper temperature and pressure for an extended time. Most rockets launched by NASA have engines that operate with cryogenic fuels, including liquid hydrogen or liquid oxygen. For the fuel to remain in a usable, liquid state, the temperature of the fuel cannot exceed the boiling point. If this occurs, the liquid will convert to gas and the pressure in the tank will increase. Before this internal pressure exceeds the limits of the tank, it must be released to prevent the tank from bursting. Increases in temperature are due to heat transfer through the tank walls, most of which is due to conduction through the metal connections within the tank, as well as between the tank and the inner walls of the rocket. There are also minimal effects caused by radiation from the sun.

We designed a tank that reduces the amount of heat that enters the system and maintains the propellent at the proper conditions. The team determined the most effective geometry, thickness, material, and type of insulation for the tank. These tanks hold enough propellent for a rocket to return to Earth from their respective missions, which can mean storing hundreds of thousands of gallons. Our tank is on a smaller scale, but the heat transfer can be calculated for a tank of any size. The test tank will be filled with liquid nitrogen and monitored for two weeks. Liquid nitrogen is being utilized due to the flammability of liquid hydrogen. The main objective is to extend the storage time of the propellent under proper cryogenic conditions.