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Convert Ten Foot Environmental Test Chamber into an Ion Engine Test ChamberThe 10 Foot Space Simulator at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been used for the last 40 years to test numerous spacecraft, including the Ranger series, several Mariner class, among many others and finally, the Spirit and Opportunity Mars Rovers. The request was made to convert this facility to an Ion Engine test facility, with a possible long term life test. The Ion engine was to propel the Prometheus spacecraft to Jupiter's moons. This paper discusses the challenges that were met, both from a procedural and physical standpoint. The converted facility must operate unattended, support a 30 Kw Ion Engine, operate economically, and be easily converted back to former operation as a spacecraft test facility.
Document ID
20070032831
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
VanVelzer, Paul
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
October 10, 2006
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Meeting Information
Meeting: 23rd Aerospace Testing Seminar (ATS)
Location: Manhattan Beach, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: October 10, 2006
End Date: October 12, 2006
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
ion engines
life testings
spacecrafts
space simulations

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