Abstract
SITAEL is active in the field of electric propulsion and is involved in the development of different thruster technologies—mainly Hall thrusters (HTs)—of power levels ranging from 100 W up to 20 kW. Low-power HTs are the most effective choice to perform orbit transfer, drag compensation, and de-orbiting maneuvers for small satellites. This paper is dedicated to the activities regarding HC1, the hollow cathode conceived for the 100-W-class Hall thruster under development at SITAEL. Successful test campaigns were performed and are described, with emphasis on the improvements in the cathode design after an extensive research and development phase. The results are presented and discussed, along with future developments of the ongoing activities.
Highlights
The low-current cathodes find their principal use in electric thrusters for nano- and microsatellites, whose growth has been boosted by advancements in microelectronics and miniaturized systems, allowing for efficient implementation in scientific research; Earth observation; remote sensing; astronomy; as well as technological, educational, and military applications [1]
The following subsections summarize the main results achieved in the course of the cathode development, starting from its thermal characterization, continuing with the performance test, and concluding with the coupled tests, which were used for the full ground qualification of the HT100 thruster unit
The heater robustness was demonstrated during a thermal cycling test, which reached development, starting from its thermal characterization, continuing with the performance test, and concluding with the coupled tests, which were used for the full ground qualification of the HT100 thruster unit
Summary
The low-current cathodes find their principal use in electric thrusters for nano- and microsatellites, whose growth has been boosted by advancements in microelectronics and miniaturized systems, allowing for efficient implementation in scientific research; Earth observation; remote sensing; astronomy; as well as technological, educational, and military applications [1]. The target characteristics of the propulsion subsystems for this market are low cost, low power consumption, low mass, high thrust controllability, and manufacturing capability. The latter aspect is important for satellite constellations, which will mainly use electric propulsion for end-of-life de-orbiting. One of the critical aspects to be addressed is the hollow cathode, which coupled with the micro- and nano-scale Hall and ion thrusters, must be able to provide a discharge current below 1 A [3]
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