Integrated Thruster/Valve Seat for Divert Attitude Control Systems

"Solid divert attitude control systems (SDACS) for missile defense applications currently employ multiple thrusters welded to rhenium valves to control the direction and duration of thrust. These valves are expensive and time consuming to fabricate and arethe controlling factor for producing a deliverable SDACS unit. The proposed Phase I research program will develop and evaluate innovative material processing and structural design concepts for integrated, high temperature divert attitude control system(DACS) components. The focus of the proposed research is on the development, analysis and preliminary testing of integral rhenium thrusters and valve seats fabricated via an electroforming (El-FormO) process. Design trade studies will be performed toestablish a demonstration component design that will be hot-fired to demonstrate perfomance. Improved thruster design concepts employing integral insulation and high temperature composite structural overwraps will also be identified and evaluated as partof the proposed Phase I program. The proposed research offers significant benefits for BMDO in reducing costs and improving performance of DACS components for TMD and NMD applications. It is anticipated that the successful development and demonstration ofan electroformed Re valve seat/thruster design will lead to significant cost reductions in the production of high acceleration low-mass DACS components. The proposed manufacturing and desig