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.
Flight Qualified Pulsed Electric Thruster for Satellite Control
1973
6 pages
Report
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Electric & Ion Propulsion , Unmanned Spacecraft , Thrusters , Electric propulsion , Satellite attitude , Flight control systems , Communication satellites , Solid propellants , Flight testing , Tetrafluoroethylene resins , Space propulsion , Stationkeeping , Shock resistance , Periodic variations , Specific impulse , Reprints , Pulsed plasma thruster , Satellite attitude control systems , Les 8 satellite , Les 9 satellite , Les 6 satellite