SBIR-STTR Award

An on-orbit propulsion capacity is required for strategic defense that features high efficiency at a specific impulse of 1000-3000 seconds. This propulsion is required for orbit transfer, orbital maneuvering and station-keeping missions. The pulsed electrothermal (PET) thruster seems particularly attractive for these applications, and has previously approached the required performance levels with water propellant in thrust stand experiments. Because 10E8 pulses or more at 1500 seconds are required for orbit transfer and maneuvering missions, the technical feasibility of a life-cycle test study is being examined focusing on the thruster design and facility requirements for the test. Such parameters include power supply, power conditioning, liquid propellant selection and handling, thermal management, thruster head vacuum chamber interface and vacuum system.

A system design has been examined to provide a 10e7 - 10e9 pulse life cycle water propellant Pulsed Electrothermal (PET) thruster. This project is currently developing a 5 Kw thruster consisting of a radiation-cooled head, 400 pps PFN, and a propellant feed system, which will be tested using a laboratory power supply on a swing arm thrust stand. Following performance testing, the unit will be tested to a lifetime of 5 times 10e7 pulses (50 hours). When successful, this propulsion system will provide an efficient space thruster for attitude control, station keeping, orbit transfer, and strategic spacecraft maneuvering for military and commercial space vehicles such as communications satellites.