Modular Xenon Micro Electric Propulsion System

While CubeSats have begun to disrupt the entire satellite industry, a lack of adequate propulsion options continues to limit their adoption beyond experimental missions.nbsp; Rideshare restrictions to propulsion systems often limit CubeSats to the non-optimal orbits into which the primary mission delivers them, and leaves them unable to maintain their orbits.nbsp; This curbs CubeSat adoptionnbsp;into commercial, persistent Earth science, or interplanetary missions.nbsp; ExoTerrarsquo;s Modular Xenon Micro Electric Propulsion System is a high-impulse propulsion system that enables CubeSats to alter or maintain their orbits and to perform affordable, targeted science missions throughout the inner solar system.nbsp; The proposednbsp;integrated system provides 4-33 mN of thrust and 36-53 kNs of impulse at an Isp from 700-1500 s using a micro-Hall Effect Thruster, and can package in 9U of volume to meet the tight constraints of CubeSats.nbsp; Variations of the system can provide over 100 kN-s of impulse.nbsp; The propulsion system consists of the Xenon propellant and distribution system, a high efficiency PPU that is radiation tolerant to 100 krad, the Halo thruster and a thrust vector controller.