Abstract
Abstract : An assessment of current micropropulsion concepts and their applicability to a new Air Force mission called TechSat21 is given. The goal of TechSat21 is to demonstrate the critical technologies for a formation-flying constellation of satellites that will perform space based radar. The propulsion system must accomplish an initial ascent, 10 year stationkeeping and drag makeup, and end-of-life deorbit. Major constraints on the propulsion system are total mass, minimum impulse bit, and contamination or other interference with the constellation. Due to its technical maturity, high performance, ease of integration, and potential for improved performance over the next couple of years, the recommended propulsion system is the conventional Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT) for primary propulsion and the Micro-PPT for stationkeeping. A low-power Hall thruster (-200 W) for primary propulsion and Micro-PPT for stationkeeping is also a strong candidate. Electrodynamic tethers for the deorbits offer a means for further reducing the propulsion mass, albeit at the expense of increased developmental and integration costs. If significant developmental risk is acceptable, the Micro Field Ionization Thruster (MFIT) offers the lowest propulsion system mass, however it is not expected to be available in the timeframe required for the TechSat21 mission.
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