IGF::OT::IGF AS PART OF A NASA GAME CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM, BUSEK DEVELOPED A FULLY INTEGRATED PROTO…

Public award description

IGF::OT::IGF AS PART OF A NASA GAME CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM, BUSEK DEVELOPED A FULLY INTEGRATED PROTOTYPE 100UN-CLASS SYSTEM (BET-100UN) SUITABLE FOR INTEGRATION INTO CUBESAT PLATFORMS. THIS STATEMENT OF WORK OUTLINES THE EFFORT TO FLIGHT-QUALIFY THE ELECTROSPRAY SYSTEM DEVELOPED AS PART OF THE MICROFLUIDIC ELECTROSPRAY PROPULSION (MEP) PHASE I PROGRAM. THE FINAL INTEGRATED UNITS DELIVERED AS PART OF THE PHASE I WERE INTENDED TO BE VIABLE FOR LOW EARTH ORBIT (LEO) DEMONSTRATION AFTER COMPLETION OF A QUALIFICATION EFFORT. THE WORK DESCRIBED HEREIN IS INTENDED TO: PERFORM ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS AND TESTING TO FURTHER CHARACTERIZE THE PHASE I DELIVERABLE DESIGN, CONDUCT A QUALIFICATION PROGRAM, FABRICATE FLIGHT HARDWARE, SUPPORT PROPULSION SYSTEM INTEGRATION INTO THE SPACECRAFT, AND SUPPORT FLIGHT OPERATIONS. THE FLIGHT UNITS ARE INTENDED FOR INTEGRATION INTO A 6U CUBESAT AND LEO DEMONSTRATION AS PART OF THE NASA PATHFINDER TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATOR PROJECT, SPONSORED BY THE SMALL SPACECRAFT TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM (SSTP). THE INTEGRATED ELECTROSPRAY THRUSTER SYSTEM CONSISTS OF A TWO-BOARD ELECTRICAL STACK, WITH EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS OF 9.5CM X 9.5CM X 3.3CM, EQUIVALENT TO 1/3U IN A CUBESAT FROM FACTOR. THE FIRST 9.5CM X 9.5CM BOARD HOUSES THE ENTIRETY OF THE ELECTRONICS; A POWER PROCESSING UNIT (PPU), AND THE DIGITAL CONTROL INTERFACE UNIT (DCIU) LOCATED ON A SMALL MEZZANINE BOARD. THE SECOND 9.5CM X 9.5CM BOARD HOUSES THE 100?N ELECTROSPRAY THRUSTER, AS WELL AS A CARBON NANOTUBE FIELD EMISSION CATHODE (CNTFEC) USED TO NEUTRALIZE THE EMITTED ELECTROSPRAY BEAM.