Author: Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 20
Book Description
Pulsed Plasma Thrusters for Small Spacecraft Attitude Control
Author: Micropropulsion for Small Spacecraft
Author: Michael Matthew MicciPublisher: AIAA
ISBN: 9781600864391
Category : Microspacecraft
Languages : en
Pages : 520
Book Description
Pulsed Plasma Thruster Technology for Small Satellite Missions
Author: High Efficiency Pulsed Plasma Thruster for Satellite Attitude Control and Maneuver
Author: Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The primary objective of this project was to develop Gas-Fed Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (GF-PPT) that can be used with water vapor or hydrazine as fuel, with vapor pressures of less than 1 Torr necessary to operate the thruster. This propulsion technology can be used to perform orbit phase changes or plane (inclination) changes for near and intermediate-earth orbit satellites. GF-PPT technology is particularly suited for large DELTA-V, in-plane, orbit phase changes. This technology can therefore complement resistojet technology and allow rapid constellation redeployment to insure prompt satellite coverage of conflicts at any location on the surface of the earth with a constellation of satellites optimized for minimum size and cost. This report discusses GF-PPT thruster performance scaling, as well as hardware and power electronics that were developed in this project.
A Performance Comparison of Pulsed Plasma Thruster Electrode Configurations
Author: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781725012127
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 28
Book Description
Pulsed plasma thrusters are currently planned on two small satellite missions and proposed for a third. In these missions, the pulsed plasma thruster's unique characteristics will be used variously to provide propulsive attitude control, orbit raising, translation, and precision positioning. Pulsed plasma thrusters are attractive for small satellite applications because they are essentially stand alone devices which eliminate the need for toxic and/or distributed propellant systems. Pulsed plasma thrusters also operate at low power and over a wide power range without loss of performance. As part of the technical development required for the noted missions, an experimental program to optimize performance with respect to electrode configuration was undertaken. One of the planned missions will use pulsed plasma thrusters for orbit raising requiring relatively high thrust and previously tested configurations did not provide this. Also, higher capacitor energies were tested than previously tried for this mission. Multiple configurations were tested and a final configuration was selected for flight hardware development. This paper describes the results of the electrode optimization in detail. Arrington, Lynn A. and Haag, Tom W. and Pencil, Eric J. and Meckel, Nicole J. Glenn Research Center NASA/TM-97-206305, E-11002, NAS 1.15:206305, IEPC-97-127 NAS3-27186; RTOP 632-1B-1B...
AFRL MicroPPT Development for Small Spacecraft Propulsion
Author: Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 16
Book Description
A class of miniaturized pulsed plasma thrusters (PPT), known as MicroPPTs, is currently in development at the Air Force Research Laboratory. The MicroPPTs use a surface discharge across solid Teflon(TM) propellant to provide precise impulse bits in the 10 microN-s range. In the near term, these thrusters can provide propulsive attitude control on 150-kg-class spacecraft using 1/5th the dry mass of conventional torque rods and reaction wheels. Eventually these thrusters are designed for primary and attitude control propulsion on future 25-kg class spacecraft envisioned for such missions as formation flying sparse aperture arrays for space-based surveillance, on-orbit satellite servicing, and space control. A synopsis of the status of the thruster is presented, discussing development, lifetime, performance, and environmental testing.
A Proposed On-Orbit Demonstration of an Advanced Pulsed-Plasma Thruster for Small Satellite Applications
Author: Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The USAF Research Laboratory's (AFRL) Electric Propulsion Group is developing an Advanced pulsed-plasma thruster (PPT) technology demonstration for small satellites. The initial flight opportunity was on MightySat 11.2 - a satellite bus specifically designed to advance AFRL-developed technologies and serve as a risk reduction mission for systems required for TechSat 21. This experiment will demonstrate a high performance PPT, making it a viable thruster for various applications such as orbit raising and initiating and maintaining clusters of small satellites. The experiment will also be the first flight of a new micro-propulsion thruster - a miniaturized version of the PPT, known as the micro-PPT (%-PPT). The u-PPT is ideal for very precise attitude control and pointing, formation flying, and for primary propulsion on microsatellites. A novel on-board diagnostic package will be used to assess the contamination of optical and thermal control surfaces as a result of firing the PPTs. Ground-based observations will also be conducted to assess the on-orbit performance and possible communication impacts of the thruster firings.
Contamination Study of a Micro Pulsed Plasma Thruster
Author: Ceylan KesenekPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Artificial satellites
Languages : en
Pages : 192
Book Description
Propulsion Options for Primary Thrust and Attitude Control of Microspacecraft
Author: A Flight Qualified Pulsed Electric Thruster for Satellite Control
Author: Robert J. VondraPublisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 10
Book Description
A solid fuel pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) has been designed, built and flight qualified for the LES-8/9 program (due to be launched in March 1975). The satellite attitude control system will contain six PPTs for orbit acquisition, east-west stationkeeping, three-axis attitude control and station changes. Each thruster has fuel for 2650 lb-s total impulse and at 25 w generates 69 micropounds thrust at 1100 s specific impulse. A prototype thruster has passed flight qualification shock and vibration tests and operational lifetime. (Modified author abstract).