Increasing demand for larger and more efficient geostationary communication spacecraft in the recent years has greatly increased the demand for electric propulsion subsystems. As a result Space Systems Loral SSL has decided to leverage the heritage of the very successful SPT-100 subsystem to develop a new SPT-140 subsystem. New market requirements were taken into account along with lessons learned from 35,000+ hours of in-orbit Hall Effect Thruster operations on SSL spacecraft. The new subsystem centers around the EDB Fakel manufactured SPT-140. Two qualification models were built: A life test unit and a systems test unit. Qualification model 001 (QM001) has undergone acceptance, qualification level testing, and has accumulated 6000+ hours of operation to date in a life test which will conclude with a total impulse of 8.17 MN-sec. Qualification model 002 (QM002) is a systems test unit which has been delivered to SSL post-acceptance testing. The unit has since completed plume characterization and performance testing at NASA GRC and The Aerospace Corporation. Testing with QM002 will continue through 2013 with a full end-toend test being performed using a qualification model PPU, harness, and flight positioning mechanism. This paper is a summary of testing to date and an overview of future works.

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