IGF::OT::IGF SMALL SATELLITES SUCH AS CUBESATS ARE IN NEED OF RESPONSIVE PROPULSION, BUT ARE LIMITED DUE TO…

Public award description

IGF::OT::IGF SMALL SATELLITES SUCH AS CUBESATS ARE IN NEED OF RESPONSIVE PROPULSION, BUT ARE LIMITED DUE TO THEIR SIZE. THOUGH SINGLE PULSE, AP/HTPB FUELED SOLID ROCKET MOTORS EXIST IN THE MARKET, GREATER MISSION FLEXIBILITY IS TO BE HAD FROM A MOTOR WITH THE CAPABILITY OF A SECOND IGNITION IN THE SAME VOLUME CONSTRAINTS. DIGITAL SOLID STATE PROPULSION (DSSP) PROPOSES RESEARCH INTO THE TECHNOLOGY TO NOT ONLY TO ENABLE A SECOND PULSE FROM A HIGH THRUST SOLID ROCKET MOTOR, BUT ALSO INTO A SAFER CLASS OF PROPELLANTS CALLED ELECTRIC SOLID PROPELLANTS (ESPS). A BARRIER SYSTEM, DEVELOPED ON OTHER DSSP PROGRAMS, WOULD BE THE STEPPING STONE FOR THE DUAL PULSE ABILITY OF THE MOTOR. THE ESPS ARE A GROUP OF PROPELLANTS THAT ARE ELECTRICALLY IGNITED, BUT SAFER TO HANDLE COMPARED TO STANDARD SOLID ENERGETIC PROPELLANTS. FOR INSPACE USE, ALUMINIZED VARIANT OF ESP WOULD BE IMPROVED AND UTILIZED FOR THIS APPLICATION. PHASE I FUNDING WOULD ALLOW FOR THE ADVANCEMENTS OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES TO A TRL 3. THEN FOLLOWING BASIC RESEARCH AND DESIGN GOALS OF A PHASE I CONTRACT, A PHASE II CONTRACT WOULD ALLOW THE DESIGN AND TEST OF AN INTEGRATED DELTA-V AND ACS PROPULSION INTO A 1U MODULE AT TRL 6.