Micropropulsion for

Nanosatellites

Olivia Billett - AA 236A 2006

Mission Statement
Why do we need thrusters for CubeSats?

Attitude Control

Camera Pointing

Formation Flying

Rendezvous

Vehicle Inspection

Orbit Changes

De-Orbit Capability

Research and Development

Because they’re cool
CubeSat Constraints
What’s so hard about adding thrusters?

 Size: < 10 x 10 x 10 cm

 Weight: < 1 kg

 Power: < 1 Watt

 Minimum Ibit ~ 10-4 Ns

 Flight ready ?

 Affordable ?
Previous Missions
What kinds of micropropulsion are currently in use?

In student satellites:

Not much. As of 2006:

• 1 CubeSat (UIUC ION), pending launch
• Few nanosats (UW, MTU, U Toronto) but no
launches scheduled

In industry satellites:

Increasing interest from DARPA, AFRL

• SSTL, Northrop Grumman, JPL
(Viable) Types of Micropropulsion
 Electric Propulsion
 Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT)
 Vacuum Arc Thruster (VAT)
 Micro Resistojet
 Colloid Microthrusters
 Chemical Propulsion
 Monopropellant MEMs
 Bipropellant MEMs
 Solid Propellant MEMs
 Cold gas thrusters (micro & MEMs)
. . . more?
Evaluation Criteria
 Primary Propulsion vs Attitude Control?
 Thrust < 1 N vs Ibit ~ 0.1 mNs

 CubeSat constraints:
 1 kg, including all fuel
 1 W (average power)
 10 x 10 x 10 cm
 cheap!
(Viable) Types of Micropropulsion
 Electric Propulsion
 Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT)
 Vacuum Arc Thruster (VAT)
 Micro Resistojet
 Colloid Microthrusters
 Chemical Propulsion
 Monopropellant MEMs
 Bipropellant MEMs
 Solid Propellant MEMs
 Cold gas thrusters (micro & MEMs)
the PPT man

Andy Sadhwani
2006 Thrusters Team Leader
Pulsed Plasma Microthruster

0.03 A

Voltage 1000 A for 10 ns

5V Stepper Teflon Coax
1500 V Capacitor

Specs Pros Cons

Thrust: 0.006 mN High ISP Low Thrust
Rotate 90º: 12 min (4,500 pulses) Small EM Interference
Lifetime: Forty 90° rotations (200,000 pulses ) Low Power Much R&D Left
Input: 5 V at 30 mA
Output: 1500 V at 1000 A for 10 ns at 6 pps
 Vacuum Arc Thrusters (VAT)
 Different cathodes vary impulse
 Variable pulsing (width & freq)
 Lighter PPU than PPT
 MVAT – increased thrust?
 High EMI
 Not tested
 Hard to fit 3 in CubeSat
Alameda
AlamedaApplied
AppliedSciences
Sciences
••Power
Power==44W W
••Mass
Mass==150 150gg
••Thrust
Thrust==54 54uN
uN(90°
(90°inin10
10min)
min)
••IIbit ==11uNs
uNs
bit
••Size MTU HuskySat micro-Vacuum Arc
Size==44xx44xx44cm
cm Thruster
Micro Resistojet

 Simple system
 Fuel: water, nitrous oxide
 Larger versions used for years
 Low impulse
 Test failed – propellant leak?
 Research discontinued (water)
 Weight of propellant
SSTL
SSTL[Water]
[Water]
••Power
Power==33W W
••Dry
DryMass
Mass==1313gg
••Thrust
Thrust==3.3
3.3mN
mN
••Size UK-DMC Micro-Resistojet, 2003
Size==10
10cm
cmlong
long
MEMs Resistojet
 Entire system on silicon chip
 Easy to fit 3 axis system
 Research at: Aerospace
Corp, Tshingua U, Indian
Institute of Technology
 Still in research stage
 Thrust not well
characterized

IIT
IIT
••Power
Power==11––2.4
2.4WW
••Thrust
Thrust==55--120
120uN
uN
••Size
Size==2.5
2.5xx2.5
2.5mm
mm
Colloid Microthrusters
 High current  droplets and ions, high ISP
 Low current  droplets only, low ISP
 Tiny arrays of multiple needles with micromachining

 Need external neutralizer

 Operating voltage ~ 15 kV
 Far from flight-ready – still in research stage, unreliable

Busek
Busek
••Power
Power==22W W
••Mass
Mass==8080gg
••Thrust
Thrust==11mN
mN
(Viable) Types of Micropropulsion
 Electric Propulsion
 Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT)
 Vacuum Arc Thruster (VAT)
 Micro Resistojet
 Colloid Microthrusters
 Chemical Propulsion
 Monopropellant MEMs
 Bipropellant MEMs
 Solid Propellant MEMs
 Cold gas thrusters (micro & MEMs)
 Monopropellant MEMs
Micro
MicroAerospace
AerospaceSolutions
Solutions
 High propellant density ••Wet
Wetmassmass==175175gg
 Low power, high Isp ••IIbit ==.17
bit .17mNs
mNs
 Wide range of impulse and ••Thrust
Thrust==50 50mN
mN
thrust levels ••Size
Size== 2” 2”diameter
diametertanktank
 Hyrazine (high Isp) and ••44thrusters
thrusters
hydrogen peroxide (non- ••Lifetime
Lifetime==50,000
50,000firings
firings
corrosive, easy handling) ••Flight-ready
Flight-ready
 Essentially size of 1U
 High Ibit

Picture courtesy of Micro Aerospace

Picture courtesy of Nasda.go.jp Solutions website
Bipropellant MEMs
 Very high thrust-to-weight ratio
 High propellant densities
 Low power
 Research at Stanford (Mech Eng)

 Ibit too high for attitude control. Good for primary

propulsion only
 Still in research stage
 More complex system, harder to fabricate
 Solid Propellant MEMs
 High propellant densities
 Low power
 No moving parts, feed systems, pumps, leakage
 Tiny arrays of multiple nozzles allow for range of thrust
 One-time-only firing
 Too expensive!

Picture courtesy of Northrop Grumman Picture courtesy of LAAS, France

Cold Gas Thrusters
 Reliable, simple systems with long flight history
 Benign propellants
 Continuous & pulsed operations  High Ibit
 Very low power  Propellant volume
 COTS valves available  Leakage

Marotta
Marotta
••Dry
Drymassmass==50
50gg
••IIbit ==44
44mNs
mNs
Flight history on
bit
••Thrust
Thrust==445445mN
mN microsatellites:
••Power
Power==0.4 0.4WW NASA ST missions
••Flight-ready
Flight-ready

Picture courtesy of Marotta

 Cold Gas MEMs – VACCO MiPS
 Chemically etched valves and system
 Fits all constraints
 Butane propellant – easy handling
 Designed for CubeSats
 Expandable propellant tank
Picture courtesy of VACCO Industries
 Not ready/ not for sale?

VACCO
VACCO
••Wet
Wetmassmass==456
456gg
••IIbit ==.55
.55mNs
mNs
bit
••Thrust
Thrust==55 55mN
mN
••Size
Size== 2.52.5xx10
10xx10
10cmcm
thrusters
••55thrusters 3-axis
3-axiscontrol
control
••Designed
Designedfor forCubeSats
CubeSats
VACCO Piezoelectric Thrusters
2 identical 1” valves controlling flow of iso-butane
Low power 10 mN thrust
• To open valve: 200 mW for 20 ms • 220 ms pulse  1.5 deg/s
rotation rate
• No power required to keep valve • 90 degree turn in 60 seconds
open

Liquid valve

120 psi
10-15 psi Thruster
Fuel storage tank
Plenum valve
Isobutane Self-pressurization
PV=nRT

T
Problem…

Only 2 thrusters donated by VACCO/JPL

. . . can spin up but can never spin down

Solution: 2-Thruster Design
• Centrifugal effect separates different phases of butane
• Allows complete single-axis control

Liquid
Gas
Inlet tube
Perforated
baffle plate
Tank Location in 2U Assembly

Moment of
Inertia

Single Axis
Rotation

Temperature
Protection
Tank Sizing and Characteristics

Volume (cm3) Maneuvers

62.79 7690
31.40 3845
20.93 2563

Full Volume = 62.7cm3

Pressure ~ 44 psi @20oC
(Viable) Types of Micropropulsion

 Electric Propulsion

Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT)
  Vacuum
Chemical Arc Thruster (VAT)
Propulsion

Micro
Cold Resistojet
gas thrusters (micro & MEMs)
 Colloid Microthrusters
 Chemical Propulsion
 Monopropellant MEMs
 Bipropellant MEMs
 Solid Propellant MEMs

Cold gas thrusters (micro & MEMs)
Questions?