An experimental test program was carried out to document all 30-cm electron bombardment Hg ion bombardment thruster functions and characteristics over the thermal environment of several proposed missions. An engineering model thruster was placed in a thermal test facility equipped with -196 C walls and solar simulation. The thruster was cold soaked and exposed to simulated eclipses lasting in duration from 17 to 72 minutes. The thruster was operated at quarter, to full beam power in various thermal configurations which simulated multiple thruster operation, and was also exposed to 1 and 2 suns solar simulation. Thruster control characteristics and constraints; performance, including thrust magnitude and direction; and structural integrity were evaluated over the range of thermal environments tested.
Thermal-environmental testing of a 30-cm engineering model thruster
International Electric Propulsion Conference ; 1976 ; Key Biscayne, FL
1976-11-01
Conference paper
No indication
English
Thermal analytic model of 30 cm engineering model mercury ion thruster
Tema Archive | 1975
|Engineering Model 8-cm Thruster Subsystem
NTIS | 1978
|Engineering model 8-cm thruster subsystem
NTRS | 1978
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