Research and development of high-efflciency and high-performance electric rocket engines for future space missions at osaka institute of technology

Abstract

Electric rocket engines (electric thruster), in which electric energy is converted to kinetic one, are suitable for future long missions in space because they can achieve higher specific impulse, i.e., higher propellant serving than conventional chemical thrusters. At Osaka Institute of Technology (OIT), several kinds of electric thruster, that is, magneto-plasma-dynamic (MPD) thruster, direct-current (DC) arcjet thruster, pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) and Hall thruster, have been investigated and developed for future space missions. Furthermore, a nano-satellite with the electric thruster, the 1st PROITERES (Project of Osaka Institute of Technology Electric Rocket Engine onboard Small Space Ship), was launched, and the next satellites of PROITERES 2 and 3 are under development. We introduce recent R&D feature of electric thrusters at OIT. Accordingly, our all thrusters had high efficiency and high performance, and their systems are under development in practical use in space.