30th Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit · 1994 · 38 citations · 14 references
EngineeringAerospace EngineeringPhysicsAerospace MaterialsPropulsionSpacecraft DesignElectric PropulsionIon PropulsionPlasma PropulsionPropulsion EfficiencyPropulsion System PerformancePropulsion SystemsFabricationFabrication TechniquesIon Thruster Performance AnalysisIon ThrustersPower InputThrust EfficiencyThruster DesignThruster Performance Modeling
A 30 cm diameter xenon ion thruster is under development at NASA to provide an ion propulsion option for missions of national interest and it is an element of the NASA Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Applications Readiness (NSTAR) program established to validate ion propulsion for space flight applications. The thruster has been developed to an engineering model level and it incorporates innovations in design, materials, and fabrication techniques compared to those employed to conventional ion thrusters. The performance of both functional and engineering model thrusters has been assessed including thrust stand measurements, over an input power range of 0.5-2.3 kW. Attributes of the engineering model thruster include an overall mass of 6.4 kg, and an efficiency of 65 percent and thrust of 93 mN at 2.3 kW input power. This paper discusses the design, performance, and lifetime expectations of the functional and engineering model thrusters under development at NASA.
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Performance of the NASA 30 cm Ion Thruster
Michael J. Patterson, Thomas Haag, Scot A. Hovan · 1993 · 37 citations
Operation of the J-series thruster using inert gas
Vincent K. Rawlin · 1982 · 31 citations