Publication Date:
2019-07-13
Description:
Electric propulsion systems based on commercial ion and Hall thrusters have the potential for significantly reducing the cost and schedule-risk of Ion Propulsion Systems (IPS) for deep space missions. The large fleet of geosynchronous communication satellites that use solar electric propulsion (SEP), which will approach 40 satellites by year-end, demonstrates the significant level of technical maturity and spaceflight heritage achieved by the commercial IPS systems. A program to delta-qualify XIPS(R) ion thrusters for deep space missions is underway at JPL. This program includes modeling of the thruster grid and cathode life, environmental testing of a 25-centimeter electromagnetic (EM) thruster over DAWN-like vibe and temperature profiles, and wear testing of the thruster cathodes to demonstrate the life and benchmark the model results. This paper will present the delta-qualification status of the XIPS thruster and discuss the life and reliability with respect to known failure mechanisms.
Keywords:
Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration; Spacecraft Propulsion and Power
Type:
AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit 2008; Jul 21, 2008 - Jul 23, 2008; Hartford, CT; United States
Format:
text
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