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Electric Propulsion Research and Development at NASA

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Electric Propulsion Research and Development at NASA SP2018 00389 Electric Propulsion Research and Development at NASA George Schmidt(1), David Jacobson(1), Michael Patterson(1), Gani Ganapathi(2), John Brophy(2), and Richard Hofer(2) (1)NASA Glenn Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Rd., Cleveland, OH 44135 USA (2)NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 91109 USA KEYWORDS: electric propulsion, ion thruster, development for its potential to provide significant Hall thruster, cathode, power processing unit, benefits for future deep-space and astrophysics xenon, iodine, CubeSat, feed system, testing applications. SMD’s current focus is on the flight development of NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon ABSTRACT: Thruster - Commercial (NEXT-C). This project’s goal is to develop and flight qualify two ion Electric propulsion (EP) is an important thruster/power processing unit (PPU) strings, technology for NASA. It has played a major role based on the NEXT technology development on three missions, that is Deep Space 1, Dawn work completed in 2012. NEXT-C hardware is and Space Technology 7, and it is planned for being considered for multiple science missions use on many more. The ion propulsion system including the Double Asteroid and Redirection for the ongoing Dawn mission has achieved Test (DART) mission led by the Applied Physics several notable accomplishments, including Laboratory (APL). SMD is also continuing to providing a total velocity change (V) of over 11 support the HiVHAc Hall thruster system project km/s to the spacecraft. As a result of these that was started in 2002. The focus now is on successes, solar electric propulsion (SEP) is now development of a flexible 4.5 kW prototype PPU broadly recognized as an essential technology for capable of operating with several different NASA both robotic and human exploration. NASA is and commercially available Hall thrusters. currently conducting many projects focused on research and development of EP for a variety of HEOMD has several EP technology development applications. All three of NASA’s mission projects underway as part of the Advanced directorates that deal directly with space Exploration Systems (AES) program. The exploration are actively engaged in supporting NextSTEP project is supporting work on three work in this area. This paper describes these high power EP technologies, which could projects in more detail, including the specific ultimately evolve for use on crewed transportation engineering activities being conducted at NASA’s systems to Mars and other destinations. These main centers for EP technology development, include: Aerojet Rocketdyne’s XR-100 Nested namely Glenn Research Center (GRC) and the Hall Thruster; Ad Astra’s Variable Specific Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR); and MSNW’s Electrodeless Lorentz Force (ELF) 1. INTRODUCTION Thruster. The AES program is also supporting development of the Morehead State University NASA’s interest in electric propulsion is reflected (MSU) Lunar IceCube mission, which will utilize by the fact that three of its four Mission Busek Co. Inc.’s BIT-3 Radiofrequency (RF) Ion Directorates are currently involved in EP thruster. technology development: the Science Mission Directorate (SMD); the Human Exploration and A significant number of NASA’s EP projects are Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD); and conducted by programs within NASA’s Space the Space Technology Mission Directorate Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). The (STMD). A summary of NASA’s EP technology largest of these is the Advanced Electric development activities, broken down by Mission Propulsion System (AEPS), which is developing Directorate, is shown in Table 1. and flight qualifying a 13.3-kW string consisting of the thruster, PPU, and Xenon Flow Controller SMD conducts a wide range of robotic planetary (XFC). The AEPS system is intended for use as science missions and supports EP technology 1 SP2018 00389 Table. 1 NASA’s Electric Propulsion Development Activities Mission Directorate Activity Mission Application Science Mission Directorate NEXT-C (7-kW gridded ion thruster) Deep-space robotic science (SMD) HiVHAc (4.5-kW Hall thruster PPU) Deep-space robotic science Colloid Thruster Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Human Exploration and NEXTStep Human exploration missions Operations Mission • XR-100 Nested Hall Thruster beyond low-Earth orbit Directorate (HEOMD) • VASIMR • Electrodeless Lorentz Force (ELF) BIT-3 Radiofrequency ion thruster Lunar IceCube Mission Space Technology Mission Advanced Electric Propulsion System Power and Propulsion Element Directorate (STMD) (AEPS): 13.3-kW Hall thruster/PPU (PPE) of the Lunar Orbital string Platform—Gateway (LOP-G) Advanced In-Space Propulsion (AISP)— Deep-space robotic science using Iodine-fueled EP thrusters small spacecraft Small Spacecraft Technology Program Deep-space robotic science using • Electrospray thrusters small spacecraft • Small iodine Hall thrusters • Sub-Kilowatt Electric Propulsion (SKEP): 500-W Hall thruster the main propulsion system for the Power and remains to this day. Dawn has completed one Propulsion Element (PPE) of the Lunar Orbital operational extension to its baseline mission, and Platform-Gateway (LOP-G). has been approved for a second extension, which will involve about three months of operations in a Under STMD’s Game Changing Program, the low resonant orbit. Advanced In-space Propulsion (AISP) Iodine project was systematically advancing iodine EP technology across a wide range of components and subsystems. This activity was focused on risk reduction for future missions that may potentially benefit from the use of iodine-fueled EP systems. STMD’s Small Spacecraft Technology Program is also funding work on several EP technologies including electrospray propulsion and small Iodine Hall EP systems. 2. CURRENT AND FUTURE MISSIONS NASA’s most prominent current application of EP is the Dawn mission. The Dawn spacecraft (shown in Fig. 1) was launched in September 2007 with the objective of exploring Vesta and Figure 1: Dawn spacecraft pre-integration Ceres, the two heaviest bodies in the main asteroid belt. Dawn is the first mission to orbit a The Dawn IPS utilizes the NASA-developed main-belt asteroid and the first mission to orbit NSTAR thruster technology, which first flew on two planetary bodies in a single mission. This the Deep Space 1 mission from 1998 to 2001. mission capability was enabled by its gridded ion The Dawn IPS consists of three thrusters propulsion system (IPS). Dawn entered Vesta’s operating one at a time. The system has orbit in July 2011, and completed a 14-month accumulated record-breaking statistics for an survey before leaving for Ceres in late 2012. It onboard propulsion system. The spacecraft has entered Ceres’ orbit in March 2015, where it amassed over 50,000 hours of ion engine 2 SP2018 00389 thrusting and delivered over 11 km/s of V to the (16) Psyche. It originally had a planned launch in spacecraft, which is greater than the V provided 2023 as the 14th Discovery mission. But in May by the launch vehicle used to deploy the probe 2017, the scheduled launch date was moved up into space. to target a more efficient trajectory, launching in 2022 and arriving in 2026 with a Mars gravity NASA participated in the LISA Pathfinder assist in 2023. The baseline Psyche spacecraft mission, a mission led by the European Space uses the SPT-140 Hall thruster system integrated Agency (ESA). Launched in December 2015, the into a commercially-available Space Systems mission tested technologies needed for the Laser Loral (SSL) bus. Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), an ESA- led gravitational wave observatory planned for Another future mission concept is the Double launch in 2034. LISA Pathfinder’s scientific Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), which would phase started in March 2016 and lasted almost demonstrate the kinetic effects of crashing an sixteen months. In April 2016, ESA announced impactor spacecraft into an asteroid moon, and that LISA Pathfinder successfully demonstrated thus test whether a spacecraft impact could that the LISA mission was feasible. LISA successfully deflect an asteroid on a collision Pathfinder carried a European Technology course with Earth. DART is directly funded by the Package comprising inertial sensors, Planetary Defense Coordination Office of NASA’s interferometer and associated instrumentation, Science Mission Directorate. John Hopkins as well as two drag-free control systems: a Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) manages the European unit using cold gas micro-thrusters, mission, which would demonstrate a kinetic and a U.S.-built Space Technology 7 (ST-7) impact on the binary asteroid Didymos. The Disturbance Reduction System (DRS) using baseline spacecraft concept utilizes a single European sensors and a cluster of micronewton NEXT-C thruster/ PPU string. The Preliminary colloid thrusters (shown in Fig. 2). The ST-7 Design Review (PDR) for the mission was held system was the culmination of work that originally on 10-12 April 2018, with a planned launch started in 1998 through a NASA Phase I SBIR readiness date in 2022. involving Busek and JPL. Following successful demonstration of colloid thruster performance in Another mission which is still in the early concept flight on ST-7, the challenge now is to definition phase (Phase A) is the Comet demonstrate that the thrusters have sufficient Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return lifetime to meet LISA requirements. JPL, Busek (CAESAR) mission. This proposed sample- and UCLA are supported to perform this work return mission to comet 67P/Churyumov- from July 2017 to the end of September 2022. Gerasimenko was one of two finalists selected by the New Frontiers program in SMD for further concept development. If selected after July 2019, it would launch between 2024 and 2025, with a capsule delivering a sample to Earth in 2038. The mission is managed by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The spacecraft would employ three NEXT-C/PPU strings in a 2 + 1 operational configuration (two thrusters operating with one employed as a spare). The highest power mission application of EP by NASA would be for the Lunar Orbital Platform- Gateway (LOP-G) (shown in Fig.
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