A brief review of JPL's electric propulsion technology activitiesNear-term objectives and recent technological progress of JPL's electric propulsion program are discussed. Particular attention is given to accomplishments for ion, magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD), electron-cyclotron resonance (ECR), and arcjet thrusters. Xenon ion thruster erosion tests indicate a 15-fold reduction in tantalum baffle erosion when nitrogen is added to the xenon propellant and steady-state cylindrical MPD thruster tests at powers up to 72 kW show distinct self-constricted and diffuse discharge modes. An ECR thruster was operated at up to 7 kW with plasma acceleration at energies up to 7 kW; there was plasma acceleration at energies approaching 100 electron volts.
Document ID
19890059501
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Barnett, John W. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Chopra, Ann (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Deininger, William D. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Garner, Charles E. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Pivirotto, Thomas J. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Sercel, Joel C. (California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, United States)