Applications propulsion systemwithpropellant sharingandISRU. In thenearterm,CO a rocket withcarbondioxide (CO systemare enormous.Magnesium (HET) thruster alsocanbecombustedin transfer,Earth thepropellant masssavingswithrespect toaxenon Hall effect solar systemexploration.Magnesium islightandeasytoionize. For aMars– system thatwouldopenthedoorforinsituresource utilization(ISRU)-based This Phase IIproject isdeveloping amagnesium(Mg) Hall effectthruster For solarsystemexploration Hall Magnesium Thruster and H delivered toBusek Company, Inc. fluidized powder thehigh-power feedsystemsupporting wasbuiltand thruster Researchers alsodesignedand builtahigh-power MgHET. (8-to20-kW) A improved themediumpower systemandcharacterized itindetail. thruster power systeminarelevant MgHall thruster spaceenvironment. Researchers Phase IIof theproject ofanintegrated,high- evaluated theperformance alsowasdemonstrated. thruster feasibility ofdelivering fluidized Mgpowder to a medium-orhigh-power (Isp) greater than4,000swasachieved atadischargepotentialof400 V. The power wasdemonstrated.Preliminary measurements indicateaspecificimpulse developed andtested.Controlled, steadyoperationatconstantvoltage and In Phase I,anintegrated,medium-power MgHETsystemwas (1-to3-kW) itself wouldbecollectedfrom Martian andlunarregolith. } } } } } } NASA } } } } } } • Moon and Mars In situpropellant useatthe ing fuelandcargo Manned- missionsfortransport Lunar andMartian missions Sample return missions and theouterplanets Missions toasteroids, comets, Discovery classmissions: NASA Flagship, Frontier, and processors flight-qualified power voltages typicaloflow-cost, Extremely highIsp at 2 O wouldbecollectedinsituonMars orthemoon. In thefarterm,Mg NASA/TM—2015-218829 2 ) orwater(H Commercial } } } } } } • system: Multimode Mg-basedpropulsion contains aMg-basedrocket propulsion systemthatalso One-half ofamultimode raising, andrepositioning Satellite orbitmaintenance, 2 O), enablingamultimode partial propellant sharing partial withfullor a Hall thruster Featuring aMgrocket and 18 2

Benefits Phase IIObjectives } } } } } } Firm Contact Proposal Number: 10-2T3.01-9872 Phone: 508–655–5565 Natick, MA01760–1023 11 Tech Circle [email protected] James J.Szabo Busek Company, Inc. } } } } } } power processingunit(PPU) 400-to600-V services–derived commercial orbitaltransportation Achieve Ispof4,000to6,000sfrom Develop aMgHallthrustersystem environment thruster systeminarelevantspace integrated, modelMgHall laboratory ofan theperformance Evaluate percent inexcessof50 System efficiency propellant storage Low propellantcostandlow-pressure • erosion thanaxenonHET: Higher Ispandlesslife-limiting may exceed5,000s may a400-VPPU thruster drivenby Mg Hall ahigh-efficiency Isp for

Busek Co., Inc. photo