Embodiments of the present invention provide an ion-thruster stationkeeping method and mounting configuration that reduces the propellant penalty when a single thruster fails, e.g., in the case where only three of a spacecraft's four ion thrusters are available. By improving firing efficiency for the single-thruster failure case, on-board propellant is reduced, thereby allowing increased payload mass. Also, the configuration supports both N/S and E/W stationkeeping using four ion thrusters (or three thrusters for the failure case) and therefore does not require a separate propulsion system or thrusters for E/W stationkeeping.


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    Title :

    Thruster orbit control method and configuration


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    2015-08-25


    Type of media :

    Patent


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English


    Classification :

    IPC:    B64G Raumfahrt , COSMONAUTICS



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