All-Electric CubeSat Propulsion Technologies

Transcription

1 All-Electric CubeSat Propulsion Technologies 6 th International Interplanetary CubeSat Workshop May 31 st 2017 Dan Courtney Michael Tsay Nathaniel Demmons Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May busek.com 2017 Busek Co. Inc. All Rights Reserved.

2 Busek Co. Inc. A History of Innovation and Space Flight WHAT WE DO Engines for Spacecraft Compact Power Electronics Space Environment Testing Terrestrial R&D HOW WELL WE DO IT Established the Domestic Hall Thruster Industry First US designed/built Hall thruster in space First micro-pulsed plasma thruster in space First flight-demonstrated electrospray thrusters First iodine fueled Hall thrusters & Ion engines Largest Staff in the Industry devoted to Electric Propulsion Five propulsion technologies; design, development, manufacture in-house Close cooperation with universities ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100C certified Registered Manufacturer and Exporter with the US Dept. of State/DDTC Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

3 Missions: Past and Present Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

4 Busek CubeSat Propulsion Systems BET-100: Mini Electrospray Passive feed No pressure vessel, valves Low Power BmP-220: Micro Pulsed Plasma No moving parts, valves No pressure vessel Teflon propellant Low Power System volume <1/3U BIT-3: 3 cm Micro RF Ion No internal cathode Tested up to 3,500s Isp Iodine compatible Compatible with 3U or 6U CubeSats BGT-X5 System: 1U/0.5N Green Monoprop High thrust (high acceleration) High density Isp Low-toxicity propellant BHT-200: 200W Hall Effect Flight heritage High thrust-to-power Suitable for MicroSats Compatible with >12U CubeSats Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

5 Busek BIT-3 RF Ion Thruster Unprecedented performance per volume Up to 2.9km/s deltav for 6U/14kg CubeSat >35kNs total impulse 1.6U system envelope 3.0kg wet, 1.5kg propellant loading mN thrust and 1,400-2,640sec Isp (56-80W throttleable system input ) 2-axis, ±10 o gimbal integrated to thruster Volume efficient, conformal iodine tank Lightweight, 22.5psig proof pressure Rad-tolerant, miniaturized PPU 28V regulated input, RS-485 comm SOA, 90% efficiency RF power generators Rad-Hard Fence providing 37MeV SEU immunity Cathode Thruster 80W power draw fits within capability of SOA solar arrays (120W for 6U) Prototype BIT-3 Thruster Firing on I 2 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

6 Measured Thrust, mn Total Isp, sec Thrust, mn Busek BIT-3 RF Ion Thruster Performance Adaption of Iodine Technology by Busek s Mini RF Ion Thrusters (Engines) Iodine stored as a solid low pressure, high density propellant storage The BIT series thrusters (1-7cm sized) are inherently iodine compatible The 3cm BIT-3 thruster is the world s first gridded ion thruster using iodine Prototype BIT-3 Thruster Firing on Xe Prototype BIT-3 Thruster Firing on I 2 Latest BIT-3 System Performance (Calculated) 1.4 y = x Est. PPU Input Power within Throttleable Range, W Xe I y = x - 1, Measured Thruster Head Power (Not System Input Power), W Xe vs. I 2 Thrust Comparison per Thruster Head Power Est. PPU Input Power within Throttleable Range, W Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

7 Busek BIT-3 RF Ion Thruster Mission Applications BIT-3 System Enables New Mission Concepts via High ΔV Two lunar missions, to be launched via NASA EM-1 (SLS, 2019) Busek BIT-3 RF to achieve lunar capture and science orbits 6U CubeSats Lunar IceCube Morehead State University Detection of water / other volatiles from LLO Img: NASA, D. Folta LunaH-Map Arizona State University Detection of hydrogen (water) BIT-3 entering CDR for flight hardware deliveries end of CY17 6U/14kg Lunar IceCube in Stowed and Flight Configurations Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

8 Busek Electrospray Thrusters Aboard LISA Pathfinder NASA/JPL Disturbance Reduction System Flown on ESA LISA Pathfinder mission Technology demo for future gravity wave mission Delivered 2008, launched 2015, On-orbit success, >1500hrs/thruster 8 Busek systems in total Null disturbances Maintain spacecraft position to test masses Required to hold position <10 nm/hz 1/2 Img: NASA/JPL Other Missions Comet crumb detection Full LISA mission Img: NASA/JPL Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

9 Busek s BET-100 and BET-300-P Passive Thrusters Compact / high performance thrusters for CubeSats BET-100 Fully integrated, unpressurized propellant supply Low power, highly variable thrust 4.3cm Precision thrust control <5 to 1μN resolution Closed loop thrust control via PPU Compact 0.5U system Fully integrated propellant reservoir Unpressurized propellant tank 50Ns+ total impulse Low power, <6W max. system power Under development Qual. Testing Q Flight in 2018 on 6U AMES Pathfinder 9.5cm Highly scalable technology BET-300-P thruster head Directly measured <6W Modular/distributable form factor In active development Presently at TRL 3 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

10 Electrospray Thrusters as a Precision CubeSat RCS Small Form Factor Retains LISA-Proven High Precision e.g. 6U S/C Passive Electrospray Thrusters as Precision RCS 100 s of nn resolution; 10 s of nnm torque on CubeSats Stable output, no sources of mechanical vibration Highly throttleable Precision low thrust maneuvers and fast slews Slew a 6U S/C through 180 o in minutes Numerous applications: Pointing for observations, laser comms Formation flights, disturbance reduction Compare with reaction wheels ~0.5uNm resolution Mech. jitter > 10mNm Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

11 Applications to CubeSat Attitude Control : Example Mission Scenario 6U CubeSat observatory tasked with taking long exposure inertial-stare images Precision ACS via electrospray holds target centroid to sub-arcsec (w/appropriate feedback sensor) over 10 s of seconds Same ACS used to slew to next image position Images Impulse /image Impulse /year 100/day 1.7mNs/img 125Ns/yr Margin 100% Total impulse 250Ns/yr M 1650s Isp 15g/yr M 65s Isp (e.g. cold-gas) 400g/yr High Isp, highly throttleable electrosprays could serve as sole ACS Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

12 Applications to Small Spacecraft Trajectory Control: Formation Flight Precision Formation Flight Maintain static or dynamic separation in LEO or beyond earth Offset environmental disturbances Circular relative motion example Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

13 Busek All-Electric Propulsion Systems for CubeSats BIT-3 system Advancing towards TRL-6 in 2017 High impulse density ~20kNs/U Thrust up to 1.24mN Iodine propellant Compact, low pressure tanks Scheduled for two 6U lunar missions launched via EM-1 Busek Electrospray Thrusters Unique precision trajectory and attitude control capabilities Extremely quiescent, no moving parts Applications to precision pointing, formation flight, disturbance compensation BET-100uN Highly throttleable precision thrust from <5 to 65μN Fully integrated, unpressurized propellant supply Advanced PPU with thrust control Scheduled for flight on NASA Ames Pathfinder Tech. Demonstrator, 2018 Upcoming developments Scaled up thrust up to 300μN demonstrated Compact, multi-axis system architecture Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

14 Facilities Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

15 Thruster Space Qualification and Simulation Chambers T4 T6 T8 T6 T8 T18 T9 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

16 Acceptance Testing, Manufacturing and Assembly Designation Designation Area (SF) Area (SF) Image Image Certification Certification Function/Major Function/Major Equipment Equipment Used for assembly Used for of assembly electrosprays/flight of electrosprays/flight HW. Contains HW. an Contains an ISO-5 laminar ISO-5 flow laminar hood for flow enhanced hood for cleanliness enhanced cleanliness operations'. operations'. Propellant drying Propellant station, drying various station, special various tools, special tools, CR-1 CR-1 ISO-8 ISO microfluidic microfluidic diagnostics. diagnostics. Nikon SMZ-10 Nikon stereoscopic SMZ-10 stereoscopic Microfluidics Microfluidics (Class 100,000) (Class microscope 100,000) with microscope fiber-optic with illumination, fiber-optic illumination, Olympus BH2 Olympus BH2 binocular microscope binocular with microscope video output, with video GR-202 output, laboratory GR-202 laboratory balance, g balance, resolution g and resolution 104X ultrasonic and 104X cleaner ultrasonic cleaner CR-2 CR-2 Metrology Metrology 300 Welding Welding Specialty Operations Specialty Operations 300 Used for incoming Used for parts incoming inspection parts w/ inspection CMM & optical w/ CMM 3D & optical 3D ISO-8 microscope. ISO-8 microscope. Assembly, calibration, Assembly, testing calibration, of micro-valves. testing of micro-valves. (Class 100,000) (Class Contains 100,000) orbital Contains & laser orbital welder, & laser inductive welder, brazing inductive unit, brazing unit, optical particle optical counter, particle and counter, xenon loading and xenon cart loading cart CR-3 CR-3 Assembly Assembly 1,000 Integration & Integration Test & Test 1,000 Used for assembly, Used for integration assembly, and integration testing of and major testing flight of major flight HW. Contains HW. electronic Contains GSE, electronic instrumentation, GSE, instrumentation, test test ISO-8 ISO-8 benches, overhead benches, gantry. overhead 100 SF gantry. parts 100 cleaning SF parts annex cleaning annex (Class 100,000) (Class 100,000) accessible from accessible within from CR3, automated within CR3, 3-axis automated transition 3-axis transition 3- axis magnetic axis probe magnetic probe Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May

17 Selected Customers Busek is proud to serve a variety of academic, government and commercial customers in the U.S. and abroad. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Copyright May