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 7320N-S (1645 lb-sec) total impulse and at 25 w generates 300 micro-N (67 micro-lb) thrust at 1000 sec specific impuse. Two prototype thrusters have passed flight qualification shock and vibration tests and operational lifetime (>34 million discharges or 10,460 N-sec). Important thruster components are discussed such as the design, fabrication, and testing of an 11 joule/kg (5 joule/lb) energy storage capacitor which has an extrapolated life of 100 billion discharges in thruster operation. Capacitor reliability at 41 joule/kg (18.8 joule/lb) was also tested and the results are given here. The spark plug design and its effect on thruster performance is examined. The plug causes a 'periodic' variation in thrust and specific impulse.


    Zugriff

    Zugriff über TIB

    Verfügbarkeit in meiner Bibliothek prüfen


    Exportieren, teilen und zitieren



    Flight Qualified Pulsed Electric Thruster for Satellite Control

    R. J. VONDRA AND K. I. THOMASSEN | AIAA | 1974


    Flight Qualified Pulsed Electric Thruster for Satellite Control

    R. J. Vondra / K. I. Thomassen | NTIS | 1973



    Pulsed Electric Thruster for Satellite Control

    R. Vondra / K. Thomassen / A. Solbes | NTIS | 1970