Delta 50-820 User Manual download pdf (Page 18)

Mueller, Ziemer, Hofer, Wirz, O’Donnell 18

Survey of Micro-Thrust Propulsion Options

Cube Sat - 5’th Annual Developers Workshop 2008

•

Electric Propulsion: Precision attitude control or high-Isp

delta-V

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Miniature Ion Propulsion (MiXI):

•

JPL developed miniature ion engine technology may satisfy Cube sat design envelope for multi-

cube (3-cube “brick”, 6 cube “six pack”) architectures with deployable arrays.

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Power limitations may require MiXI

to be operated in throttle mode at limited thrust, however, at

T/W ratios not unlike on larger EP propelled spacecraft.

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Vacuum Arc Thruster:

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Developed by Almeda

Applied Sciences for micro-

and formation flying control

•

Cube sat architectures have already been explored (single cube).

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Primarily suited for attitude control due to inherently pulsed operation and low total impulse.

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Pulse Plasma Thrusters:

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Smaller PPT versions have been developed for micro-sat application (Dawgstar).

•

Primarily suited for attitude control due to inherently pulsed operation and low total impulse.

Summary of Propulsion Candidates

for CubeSats

cont’d

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Delta 50-820 User Manual Page 18