Experimental Validation of a 1-Newton Hydrogen Peroxide Thruster

Abstract

The evolution of a 1 N monopropellant thruster using 87.5% concentration hydrogen peroxide is reported. The design of the thruster is described, along with the testing of the catalyst material. Thruster firings were completed at sea-level atmospheric conditions and in vacuum, with a vacuum specific impulse of 160 s and a characteristic velocity efficiency of greater than 95% achieved. The final thruster design demonstrated good overall performance, with initial lifetime testing suggesting that the catalyst offers good robustness. A case study suggests that the thruster would provide a level of performance comparable to that of a hydrazine-based propulsion system for a high-velocity-change, volume-constrained low-Earth-orbit spacecraft mission, but at lower cost.