CubeSat Electrothermal Plasma Micro-Thruster: System Development and Integration

Amid growing demand to expand CubeSat mission capability, several propulsion devices have been proposed for use in nanosatellites. One device, a scalable electrothermal plasma thruster named Pocket Rocket, has been researched and designed as an inexpensive and high-performance propulsion solution. A full integration of two Pocket Rocket thrusters into a 1U CubeSat form factor for spin maneuver testing has been completed, including Argon propellant storage, pressure regulation, an RF power and thruster controller, and a complete modular support structure. This prototype module was completed and tested in an environmental vacuum chamber to ensure space-capable operation, with future plans to complete a space mission to demonstrate the full potential of Pocket Rocket. Results show that the full assembly fits together inside the 1U CubeSat form factor and that the thrusters can be controlled individually. The burn time using the current proof of concept model is approximately 3 hours with an ion number density in the plume of approximately 2 x 1015 showing that the thruster is scalable from previous Pocket Rocket thruster tests and that the performance was not affected by the CubeSat integration of the thruster