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Operationally Responsive Spacecraft Using Electric Propulsion, Thomas C. Co
Operationally Responsive Spacecraft Using Electric Propulsion, Thomas C. Co
Theses and Dissertations
A desirable space asset is responsive and flexible to mission requirements, low-cost, and easy to acquire. Highly-efficient electric thrusters have been considered a viable technology to provide these characteristics; however, it has been plagued by limitations and challenges such that operational implementation has been severely limited. The technology is constantly improving, but even with current electric propulsion, a spacecraft is capable of maneuvering consistently and repeatedly in low-Earth orbit to provide a responsive and flexible system. This research develops the necessary algorithm and tools to demonstrate that EP systems can maneuver significantly in a timely fashion to overfly any target …
Plume Characterization Of Busek 600w Hall Thruster, Duc Minh Bui
Plume Characterization Of Busek 600w Hall Thruster, Duc Minh Bui
Theses and Dissertations
The BHT-600W thruster has a high potential to place on various commercial and military satellites as a main propulsion system for orbit maintenance and orbit maneuvering. Therefore, the thruster's performance characteristics and parameters were evaluated for various operating conditions. These parameters include thrust, power consumption, mass flow rate, and efficiencies. Various plume properties were measured and characterized for the thruster to include exhaust beam profile and ion species distribution. The faraday probe was used to examine the thruster plume current density while the ion species fractions were determined by the ExB probe. The inverted pendulum thrust stand was also utilized …