Advanced Solar Electric Propulsion

Shown here is a 13 kilowatt hall thruster being evaluated at nasa s glenn.

Advanced solar electric propulsion.

The solar electric propulsion project has developed solar arrays that are lighter stronger more compact and less expensive than those currently available. This is the equivalent of 17 trips around the world. Nasa has selected aerojet rocketdyne inc. Arrm would use the new 50 kw solar electric propulsion robotic spacecraft fly it to a near earth asteroid and.

Solar electric propulsion is presently flying on dawn which uses 2 3 kw nasa solar electric propulsion technology application readiness nstar engines. Bringing together expertise in advanced brayton power conversion systems concentrated solar collector technology and space system design and analysis sandia national laboratories partnering with northrup grumman aerospace systems and the university of michigan has developed a solar electric propulsion concept capable of a wide array of missions for nasa. Sep has a significantly higher specific impulse than normal chemical rockets thus requiring. Naval dc is your specialist with more than 12 years of experience for electric propulsion systems.

To date our systems have logged in excess of 400 000 nm on the open ocean. This technology has been exploited in a variety of spacecraft by the european space agency the japanese space agency indian space research organisation and nasa. As of 2019 over 500 spacecraft operated throughout the solar system use electric propulsion for station keeping orbit raising or primary propulsion. Of redmond washington to design and develop an advanced electric propulsion system that will significantly advance the nation s commercial space capabilities and enable deep space exploration missions including the robotic portion of nasa s asteroid redirect mission arm and its journey to mars.

Arrm is a mission that was highlighted as a priority by the obama administration. This multipurpose space vehicle. Advanced solar electric propulsion will be needed for future human expeditions into deep space including to mars. Solar electric propulsion provides such high fuel economy that it reduces the amount of propellant required onboard vehicles for deep space missions by as much as 90 percent.

Other thruster technologies are emerging with higher power thrust and specific impulse isp capabilities. Solar electric propulsion sep refers to the combination of solar cells and electric thrusters to propel a spacecraft through outer space. In the future the most advanced electric thrusters may be able to impart a delta v of 100 km s which is enough to take a spacecraft to the outer planets of the solar system with nuclear power.