LIQUID PROPELLANT PULSED ELECTROTHERMAL THRUSTER

AN ON-ORBIT PROPULSION CAPACITY IS REQUIRED FOR STRATEGIC DEFENSE THATFEATURES HIGH EFFICIENCY AT A SPECIFIC IMPULSE OF 1000-3000 SECONDS. THIS PROPULSION IS REQUIRED FOR ORBIT TRANSFER, ORBITAL MANEUVERING AND STATION-KEEPING MISSIONS. THE PULSED ELECTROTHERMAL (PET) THRUSTER SEEMS PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE FOR THESE APPLICATIONS, AND HASPREVIOUSLY APPROACHED THE REQUIRED PERFORMANCE LEVELS WITH WATER PROPELLANT IN THRUST STAND EXPERIMENTS. BECAUSE 10E8 PULSES OR MORE AT 1500 SECONDS ARE REQUIRED FOR ORBIT TRANSFER AND MANEUVERING MISSIONS, THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF A LIFE-CYCLE TEST STUDY IS BEING EXAMINED FOCUSING ON THE THRUSTER DESIGN AND FACILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE TEST. SUCH PARAMETERS INCLUDE POWER SUPPLY, POWER CONDITIONING, LIQUID PROPELLANT SELECTION AND HANDLING, THERMAL MANAGEMENT, THRUSTER HEAD VACUUM CHAMBER INTERFACE AND VACUUM SYSTEM.