The benefits offered by electric propulsion are analyzed for the four applications of interest to ESA: north-south stationkeeping of geostationary satellites; orbit maneuvering and maintenance of large low-orbiting spacecraft (like the Columbus Man-Tended Free Flyer); primary propulsion for interplanetary missions; and fine pointing, attitude and orbit control of scientific satellites. Developments in electric propulsion include: testing of a multipropellant resistojet for a manned space station; testing of a 15 kW arcjet for orbit maneuvers and maintenance of low orbiting spacecraft; final preparation of the RITA ion engine experiment on the EURECA carrier; preliminary studies of a pre-operational ion propulsion system to be flown on the Agency's SAT-2 satellite in 1993; preparation of a European primary ion propulsion system for interplanetary missions; and further development of the Field Emission Electric Propulsion system for fine attitude and orbit control of scientific spacecraft.
ESA (European Space Agency) Policy and Program for the Development of Electric Propulsion
1988
12 pages
Report
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Electric & Ion Propulsion , Unmanned Spacecraft , Manned Spacecraft , Astronautics , Electric propulsion , European space programs , Space station propulsion , Spacecraft propulsion , Arc jet engines , Ion engines , Orbital maneuvers , Propulsion system configurations , Resistojet engines , Satellite attitude control , Space maintenance , Stationkeeping , Foreign technology
European Space Agency, ERS-1 program
NTRS | 1983
|BMDO electric space-propulsion program
NTRS | 1993
|BMDO electric space-propulsion program
AIAA | 1993
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