Demonstration of 10,400 Hours of Operation on 4.5 kW Qualification Model Hall Thruster

TLDR

The BPT‑4000 Hall thruster is a 4.5 kW propulsion system jointly developed by Aerojet and LMSSC. The thruster is scheduled for launch in summer 2010 aboard the first Advanced EHF spacecraft. Testing showed the BPT‑4000 operated continuously for over 10,400 hrs, consumed 452 kg of xenon, delivered more than 8.7 MN‑s of impulse across 7,316 ignition cycles, and exhibited no performance degradation or insulator‑ring erosion, proving that properly designed Hall thrusters can achieve lifetimes comparable to ion thrusters and enabling high‑throughput missions such as asteroid fly‑by, cargo transfer, and satellite servicing.

Abstract

Between 2007 and 2009, Aerojet and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC) successfully extended the demonstrated operating duration of the qualification model BPT-4000 4.5 kW Hall thruster beyond 10,400 hrs. A total of 452 kg of xenon were consumed during the entire qualification marking the most throughput ever demonstrated on a Hall thruster. The BPT-4000 Hall thruster is part of a 4.5 kW Hall Thruster Propulsion System (HTPS) developed jointly by Aerojet and LMSSC. The system is slated for initial launch in the summer of 2010 on the first Advanced EHF spacecraft. The testing demonstrated the thruster’s ability to provide more than 8.7 MN-s of total impulse and 7,316 ignition cycles. At the conclusion of testing, the thruster showed no signs of degradation in performance and all health indicators were stable. Most significantly, there was no measurable insulator ring erosion from 5,600 hrs to 10,400 hrs indicating that the thruster had reached a “zero” erosion configuration. This result demonstrates that Hall thrusters can, if designed properly, achieve lifetimes comparable to ion thrusters. It also eliminates one of the perceived barriers to the use of Hall thrusters for applications such as asteroid fly-by, cargo transfer, and satellite servicing missions that require significant throughput.