Delta 50-820 User Manual download pdf (Page 13)

Mueller, Ziemer, Hofer, Wirz, O’Donnell 13

Survey of Micro-Thrust Propulsion Options

Cube Sat - 5’th Annual Developers Workshop 2008

Description:

Status:Application:

JPL Miniature Xenon Ion (MiXI) Thruster

•

Electrostatic thruster. Ions are generated in a plasma

discharge by electron bombardment and accelerated

through extraction grids by DC electric field.

•

High specific impulse (3000 s), propellant eff (>70%), and

power eff (>40%), and non-contaminating propellant.

•

Much smaller (3 cm) and lower power than conventional

ion thrusters.

•

Typical MiXI performances:

TRL 4. Laboratory development/component verification

•

Based on proven (TRL 9) Ion engine technology (i.e.,

Boeing’s 13 and 25 cm thrusters (116 thrusters on 29

GEOSATS) and NASA’s 30 cm NSTAR (DS-1, DAWN).

•

Extensive flight history of larger-scale thrusters (SERT I

1964, SERT II -

1970, Boeing XIPS 1997-present,

NSTAR 1999-present)

•

Power processing unit (PPU) to be developed. PPU

challenges minimized by low power levels.

•

Miniature feed system to be developed.

Mass/complexity will be reduced with simple

proportional flow control.

•

For main delta-v propulsion of 30-100 kg spacecraft if

power > 20 W is used.

•

Well-suited for near-Earth/lunar/interplanetary

missions where high delta-v is needed due to

relatively high specific impulse (3000 s).

•

Low thrust requires long mission trip times -

spiral

trajectories.

•

Special applications include formation flying of a

constellation of spacecraft, or drag make-up in low

Earth orbits.

~30-100 kg S/C main propulsion, formation flying

3-cm Dia. MiXI Thruster

MiXI in Operation in JPL Test Lab

Supplier Designation

Thrust

(mN)

Thruster

Mass (kg)

Dia (cm) Isp (s)

Power

(W)

JPL MiXI 0.01-1.5 0.2 3

2500-

3200

13-50

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

Comments to this Manuals

No comments

Delta 50-820 User Manual Page 13

Comments to this Manuals

Related products and manuals for Dust covers Delta 50-820