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Long life monopropellant hydrazine thruster evaluation for Space Station Freedom applicationIn support of propulsion system thruster development activity for Space Station Freedom (SSF), NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) is conducting a hydrazine thruster technology demonstration program. The goal of this program is to identify impulse life capability of state-of-the-art long life hydrazine thrusters nominally rated for 50 pounds thrust at 300 psia supply pressure. The SSF propulsion system requirement for impulse life of this thruster class is 1.5 million pound-seconds, corresponding to a throughput of approximately 6400 pounds of propellant, with a high performance (234 pound-seconds per propellant pound). Long life thrusters were procured from Hamilton Standard, The Marquardt Company, and Rocket Research Company. Testing has initiated on the thruster designs to identify life while simulating expected thruster firing duty cycles and durations for SSF using monopropellant grade hydrazine. This paper presents a review of the SSF propulsion system and requirements as applicable to hydrazine thrusters, the three long life thruster designs procured by JSC and the resultant acceptance test data for each thruster, and the JSC test plan and facility.
Document ID
19910057064
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Popp, Christopher G.
(NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Henderson, John B.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 15, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 1991
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Report/Patent Number
AIAA PAPER 91-2041
Accession Number
91A41687
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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