Publication Date:
2019-07-13
Description:
In support of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, laboratory measurements were made on the NEXT ion engine, which will be used for the spacecraft's in-space propulsion [1]. This study revisits a small range of mission-specific 2.7A throttle levels to understand the effect of in-flight flow rate variability, investigate intermediate throttle conditions, and improve measurement methodology. This paper specifically examines the far-field plume divergence and backflow ion flux distribution of the NEXT, while a companion paper examines the charge state distributions.
Keywords:
Spacecraft Propulsion and Power
Type:
GRC-E-DAA-TN63682
,
AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition (SciTech); Jan 07, 2019 - Jan 11, 2019; San Diego, CA; United States
Format:
application/pdf
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