The results of testing the flight thrusters on the SERT spacecraft during the 1974 test period are presented. The most notable result was the clearing of the high voltage short from thruster 2 and the successful stable operation of its ion beam. Test periods were limited to 70 minutes or less by earth eclipse of the spacecraft solar array and by ground station coverage limitations. Thruster 2 was restarted 26 times with an ion beam produced 21 times. The high voltage short remains in thruster 1, but the cathodes were restarted 12 times to demonstrate continued restart capability. The propellant feed systems, power processors, and spacecraft ancillary equipment were demonstrated to be functional after 4 1/2 years in space. In addition to the thruster tests, a neutralizer cathode was operated separately to demonstrate that the potential level of a spacecraft could be controlled by the neutralizer alone. (Author)
Sert 2 Thruster Space Restart, 1974
1975
16 pages
Report
No indication
English
SERT 2 thruster space restart, 1974
NTRS | 1975
|SERT II thruster space restart - 1974
NTRS | 1975
|SERT II thruster space restart - 1974
AIAA | 1975
|SERT 2 thruster restart - 1974
Tema Archive | 1975
|SERTII Spacecraft Thruster Restart, 1974
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