Low Mass Low Specific Power Hall Effect Thruster

ABSTRACT:Busek Co. Inc. proposes to develop a high power, low-mass Hall effect thruster.The baseline thruster is sized at nominally 8kW power level.A specific feature to be implemented includes the use of SmCo permanent magnets.The goal of the effort is to reduce thruster specific mass to 60%.In Phase I Busek evaluated an existing permanent magnet thruster to develop the theoretical and experimental underpinnings of the full power design.Following the experimental effort Busek prepared the detailed engineering design of the thruster designated BHT-8000-PM.The thruster design was supported by magnetic modeling, lifetime predications, and thermal and structural analysis.In Phase II Busek will perform functional, performance and plume testing of the prototype thruster.Using the lessons learned from the prototype thruster development, Busek will design, build and environmentally and performance test an advanced version of the thruster with a center-mounted cathode to raise the maturity level to TRL 6.BENEFIT:The DoD has recently begun an effort to understand the potential of high-power EP for national assets such as AEHF, GPS, WGS, SBIRS, and reconnaissance satellites.Equipping assets with full EP for both orbit transfer and station keeping would allow dual-manifest launches and LEO injections in the majority of cases, saving hundreds of millions of dollars across constellations.In the case of the Space Missile Command (SMC) fleet, EP would allow dual-manifest LEO launches to occur, saving ~15% of the fleet-wide budget which includes the procurement, launch, and operation.The commercial industry is already transitioning to all-electric satellites to perform both orbit raising and station keeping.These include domestic satellite manufacturers Boeing (presently operating L-3 ion engines), Lockheed-Martin, Orbital Sciences and Space Systems/Loral,Between 2020 and 2022, 45 satellite orders are expected to launch having payload power at or near 14 kW, with 18 of these at or above 14 kW.This trend of higher power coincides with advancements in solar array technologies.Present state of the art arrays average 40 W/kg, whereas next generation arrays performance >10 W/kg.