Development of Mono-Propellant Propulsion System for a Japanese Microsatellite "Hodoyoshi-1"

Abstract

As the development of microsatellite is recently increasing in the world, miniaturization of elements for space use is strongly desired to make efficient use of microsatellite with respect to its dimensions, cost, and capability of space mission. As for propulsion, chemical propulsion is the most suitable to microsatellite with progress in miniaturization because of its high thrust density, short term injection, and easiness to handle. However, the conventional propulsion for satellite is difficult to handle the propellant, hydrazine, due to its toxicity and high cost, so that universities and non-governmental associations developing their microsatellites have not installed such propulsion so far. Accordingly, we have been developing a propulsion system for microsatellites based on Hydrogen Peroxide because of its little toxicity, low cost, and handling properties compared to the conventional propulsion system. Thus, we completed a mono-propellant propulsion system for microsatellite with the policies of SAFTY FIRST and EFFECTIVE COTS. Now we are planning to demonstrate our propulsion system in a Japanese microsatellite, Hodoyoshi-1, to execute its phase shift in orbit. The propulsion system has a mono-propellant thruster with 500mN of thrust and 80 seconds of specific impulse. We already evaluated its performance in injection tests on ground and in vacuum, and are planning to conduct the detailed vacuum test and mechanical environment test such as vibration test for its launch. In this paper, we present the innovative propulsion system and its injection test.