Miniature Ion Electrospray Thrusters and Performance Test on CubeSats

Miniature ion electrospray thrusters under development at MIT are opening a new range of possibilities for applications requiring precision thrusting, or for nano-satellite mission design. With a specific impulse (Isp) in excess of 2500 seconds, no moving parts and unpressurized tanks containing zero-vapor pressure liquid propellant, they can be integrated into cubesat compatible multi-thruster assemblies. The technology and the thruster performances are described in this paper in addition to the current development of cubesat compatible prototype assemblies for performance tests in space. The assembly under development in this research effort fits within 1/3 of one 1U cubesat and is designed to provide fine three-axis attitude control and precision thrusting, to deliver a total Delta-V in excess of 200 m/sec to 3U cubesats (3 kg). The overarching goal is to assess in flight the performances of the thrusters as precision actuators. Potential nanosat applications include attitude control and precision pointing, orbital adjustments, constellation control and maintenance, formation flight, re-entry, debris removal and other maneuvers