SBIR/STTR Research Award
Scandate Cathode for High Power Long Life Electric Propulsion
Award amount
$199,982Program and phase
SBIR · Phase IAward year
2013Award details
- Awarding agency
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Branch
- Not reported
- Recipient company
- E BEAM INC
- Proposal award date
- 2013-05-23
- Contract end date
- 2013-11-23
- UEI
- HZG5FTZDN2J4
- Solicitation number
- Not reported
- Topic code
- E1.01
Research abstract
Scandate cathodes are proposed as a way to boost performance and life for electric space propulsion systems. This company has recently demonstrated breakthrough performance on these cathodes in other formats. We have demonstrated emission of 5 Amps/cm2 at 850 degrees CB, which is 200 degrees C below that of conventional cathodes. At this temperature they should live at least 100,000 hours. This makes scandate cathodes a candidate for use in deep space missions.In Phase I we propose construction and testing of several hollow scandate cathodes. We propose to do both vacuum and ion environment characterization on them. In Phase II we will begin active collaboration with NASA to test these cathodes in complete ion thrusters.
Technology keywords
Not reported
Other awards by this recipient
Verified by the same UEI. These are other public SBIR/STTR award pages, not a merged company record.
- Fast Turn-On Thrusters for Space Debris Removal
- Novel Grids and Coatings for High-Power Ion Thrusters
- High Current Plasma Cathode for Efficient Space Propulsion
- Innovations in Hollow Cathode Construction Technology
- High Current Plasma Cathode for Efficient Space Propulsion
Awards with the same topic code
Verified by an exact topic code match. This is not a text-similarity match.
- 300C/15 kW power converter with AlGaN/GaN-Si MOS-HFETs for electric propulsion systems
- Hall Effect Thruster for High Power Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration
- Hall Effect Thruster for High Power Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration
- High Input Voltage Hall Thruster Discharge Converter
- Direct Drive Unit with Autonomous Cathode Current Regulation
Research funding history
31 SBIR/STTR records share this UEI (1991–2025). Reported award amounts total $9,378,068. Reported amounts are not federal obligations.
Phases: Phase I, Phase II
Agencies: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Defense