Performance Mapping and Qualification of the IFM Nano Thruster FM for in Orbit Demonstration

Abstract

The Aerospace Department at FOTEC has been developing the mN-FEEP technology under ESA research contracts for the last decades with the purpose to create a highly controllable and efficient propulsion technology for future science missions. The mN-FEEP thrusters use a crown of sharpened porous Tungsten needles which are wetted with liquid Indium. This crown is raised to a high positive potential to emit and accelerate In + ions. This thruster technology has undergone extensive testing in recent years, including performance mapping of more than hundred emitters and lifetime testing up to more than 13.000 h. Based on this technology, the IFM Nano thruster has been developed as a commercial product for small satellites. This integrated ion propulsion system fits into a volume of less than a single unit CubeSat. In 2017, the first flight model has been manufactured to be flown on an in-orbit demonstration mission, supported by the ESA IOD program ATLAS. This paper presents the results from the extensive test campaigns on proto-flight model level, including efficiency mapping of all subsystems and the validation of the neutralization strategy. The results show that the IFM Nano thruster design is fully functional and provide an outlook on the performance to be expected during in-orbit operation.

Space micropropulsion systems for Cubesats and small satellites: From proximate targets to furthermost frontiers

“…204 Detailed characteristics and performances are listed in Table VII. This new technology uses a multi-emitter of 28 adjacent emission sites, connected to one single propellant tank and power electronics, 205 and suites as propulsion system for microand nano-satellites. Wide thrust range (1 lN -0.5 mN) and a high specific impulse (2000-5000 s) allow significant increase in the mission range for small satellites, offering the possibility of high delta-v manoeuvres (several kilometres per second).…”

Space Propulsion Technology for Small Spacecraft

“…As the relationship between system power, thrust and specific impulse [58]. Unless otherwise noted, data is taken from vendor data sheets.…”

“…7 shows the throttling capability of selected EP systems, plotting the thrust and specific impulse as a function of input system power. The systems compared show the MIT iEPS system, which features constant specific impulse over the thrust and power range tested [57], the University of Washington VAT thruster that increases delivered impulse bit by increasing the pulsing frequency, the Busek BeP-220 Pulsed plasma thruster with similar operational properties compared to the VAT, the Busek BIT-3 ion thruster with linear specific impulse and thrust increase with increasing power [37], [67], and the Enpulsion IFM Nano thruster with variable thrust/power tradeoff for increasing specific impulse [58]. [67], 15 IFM Nano full system including neutralizer, Enpulsion/Fotec [58], [68].…”

“…A Cubesat-compatible liquid indium FEEP propulsion module featuring 28 emission sites has been developed by FOTEC/Enpulsion [58], and is scheduled for flight by end of 2017. Fig.…”

Electric Propulsion For Small Satellites Orbit Control And Deorbiting : The Example Of A Hall Effect Thruster

“…The specific impulse is defined as the time during which a quantity of fuel gives a given thrust. : For satellites under 100kg, the following thrusters have a flight heritage: cold gas thrusters [2], monopropellant thrusters 3 , bi-propellant thrusters [3], resistojet 4 , PPT 5 and field-emission electric propulsion (FEEP) thrusters [4]. However, these solutions have to make a compromise between low specific impulse (<550s) or low thrust-to-power ratio (<10mN/kW).…”