Delta 50-820 User Manual download pdf (Page 12)

Mueller, Ziemer, Hofer, Wirz, O’Donnell 12

Survey of Micro-Thrust Propulsion Options

Cube Sat - 5’th Annual Developers Workshop 2008

Application:

•

For attitude control on very small microspacecraft (>

1kg) or ultra-precision attitude control on larger

spacecraft for constellation/formation flying

applications.

•

Delta-v capability very limited due to inherently

pulsed design, and small total impulses.

•

Compact, modular design with thruster-integrated

propellant supply.

> 1 kg S/C Attitude control

Description:

Status:

•

Vacuum discharge between two metal electrodes.

•

Surface roughness spikes form attachment points for

arcs, high power density in attachment points lead to

localized phase transition from solid to plasma.

•

Plasma expands rapidly into vacuum due to high

localized pressure (1000 atm) at attachment points to

produce thrust.

•

High precision thrust and impulse bits. Inherently

pulsed thrust characteristics, modular design.

•

Typical performance parameters:

TRL 3-4. Laboratory development.

•

Laboratory development by Alameda Applied Sciences

Corp. (AASC) in collaboration with Aerojet.

•

Resulted from SBIR funded activities.

•

2004 Vacuum test series, incl. thrust stand tests at JPL

•

A VAT thruster system has been designed and built by

AASC Inc. and tested by AASC and JPL but not yet

flown.

VAT under Test in

JPL UHV Chamber

Supplier Designation Thrust (mN) Mass (g) PPU Mass (g) Isp (sec) Power (W)

AASC VAT 0.125 40 600 1,500 10

VAT Thruster Head

Alameda/JPL Vacuum Arc Thruster (VAT)

1 2 ... 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

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Delta 50-820 User Manual Page 12

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