Overview of the Development of the Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission 12.5-kW Hall Thruster

NASA is developing mission concepts for a solar electric propulsion technology demonstration mission. A number of mission concepts are being evaluated including ambitious missions to near Earth objects. The demonstration of a high-power solar electric propulsion capability is one of the objectives of the candidate missions under consideration. In support of NASAs exploration goals, a number of projects are developing extensible technologies to support NASAs near and long term mission needs. Specifically, the Space Technology Mission Directorate Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission project is funding the development of a 12.5-kW magnetically shielded Hall thruster system to support future NASA missions. This paper presents the design attributes of the thruster that was collaboratively developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The paper provides an overview of the magnetic, plasma, thermal, and structural modeling activities that were carried out in support of the thruster design. The paper also summarizes the results of the functional tests that have been carried out to date. The planned thruster performance, plasma diagnostics (internal and in the plume), thermal, wear, and mechanical tests are outlined.

[1]  I. Mikellides,et al.  Magnetic shielding of a laboratory Hall thruster. I. Theory and validation , 2014 .

[2]  John R. Brophy,et al.  Near-Earth Asteroid Retrieval Mission (ARM) Study , 2013 .

[3]  I. Mikellides,et al.  Wear Mechanisms in Electron Sources for Ion Propulsion, 2: Discharge Hollow Cathode , 2008 .

[4]  Vladimir Kim,et al.  Investigation of SPT Performance and Particularities of it's Operation with Kr and Kr/Xe Mixtures *+ , 2001 .

[5]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Farfield Plume Measurement and Analysis on the NASA-300 M and NASA-300 MS IEPC-2013-057 , 2013 .

[6]  Melissa L. McGuire,et al.  Concept designs for NASA's Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission , 2014 .

[7]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Performance and Thermal Characterization of the NASA-300MS 20 kW Hall Effect Thruster , 2013 .

[8]  I. Mikellides,et al.  Magnetic Shielding of the Channel Walls in a Hall Plasma Accelerator , 2011 .

[9]  J E Polk,et al.  Scanning optical pyrometer for measuring temperatures in hollow cathodes. , 2007, The Review of scientific instruments.

[10]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  A Commercial One Newton Hall Effect Thruster for High Power In-Space Missions , 2011 .

[11]  Lee S. Mason,et al.  NASA's Hall Thruster Program , 2001 .

[12]  Dan M. Goebel,et al.  High-Current Lanthanum Hexaboride Hollow Cathode for High-Power Hall Thrusters , 2014 .

[13]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Numerical Simulations of a 20-kW Class Hall Thruster Using the Magnetic-Field-Aligned-Mesh Code Hall2De , 2011 .

[14]  Margaret Nazario.  Advancement of a 30kW Solar Electric Propulsion System Capability for NASA Human and Robotic Exploration Missions , 2013 .

[15]  D. A. Herman,et al.  Modeling Analysis for NASA GRC Vacuum Facility 5 Upgrade , 2013 .

[16]  Robert S. Jankovsky,et al.  Preliminary Evaluation of a 10 kW Hall Thruster , 1999 .

[17]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Advanced Diagnostic Characterization of High-Power Hall Thruster Wear and Operation , 2013 .

[18]  Michael J. Patterson,et al.  End-of-test Performance and Wear Characterization of NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) Long-Duration Test , 2014 .

[19]  Ioannis G. Mikellides,et al.  Wear Mechanisms in Electron Sources for Ion Propulsion, 1: Neutralizer Hollow Cathode , 2008 .

[20]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Performance Test Results of the NASA-457m V2 Hall Thruster , 2013 .

[21]  I. Katz,et al.  Fundamentals of Electric Propulsion: Ion and Hall Thrusters , 2008 .

[22]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Fairfield Plume Measurement and Analysis on the NASA-300M and NASA-300MS , 2013 .

[23]  David H. Manzella,et al.  High-Power Solar Electric Propulsion for Future NASA Missions , 2014 .

[24]  David H. Manzella,et al.  NASA's 2004 Hall Thruster Program , 2013 .

[25]  Steve Oleson.  Advanced propulsion for space solar power satellites , 1999 .

[26]  H. Kamhawi,et al.  Plasma Potential and Langmuir Probe Measurements in the Near-Field Plume of the NASA-457mv2 Hall Thruster , 2013 .

[27]  Richard R. Hofer,et al.  Mass and Cost Model for Selecting Thruster Size in Electric Propulsion Systems , 2013 .

[28]  V. Kim.  Main Physical Features and Processes Determining the Performance of Stationary Plasma Thrusters , 1998 .

[29]  I. Mikellides,et al.  Numerical simulations of Hall-effect plasma accelerators on a magnetic-field-aligned mesh. , 2012, Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics.

[30]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Optical Diagnostic Characterization of High-Power Hall Thruster Wear and Operation , 2012 .

[31]  Robert S. Jankovsky,et al.  Laboratory Model 50 kW Hall Thruster , 2002 .

[32]  Nathan J. Strange,et al.  300-kW Solar Electric Propulsion System Configuration for Human Exploration of Near-Earth Asteroids , 2011 .

[33]  Dan M. Goebel,et al.  Hollow cathode theory and experiment. I. Plasma characterization using fast miniature scanning probes , 2005 .

[34]  I. Mikellides,et al.  Magnetic shielding of a laboratory Hall thruster. II. Experiments , 2014 .

[35]  Ioannis G. Mikellides,et al.  Channel Wall Plasma Thermal Loads in Hall Thrusters with Magnetic Shielding , 2011 .

[36]  Robert S. Jankovsky,et al.  NASA's Hall Thruster Program 2002 , 2002 .

[37]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Ion Current Density Study of the NASA-300m and NASA-457mv2 Hall Thrusters , 2013 .

[38]  Tim Panczak,et al.  A CAD-Based Tool for FDM and FEM Radiation and Conduction Modeling , 1998 .

[39]  I. Mikellides,et al.  Design of a Laboratory Hall Thruster with Magnetically Shielded Channel Walls, Phase III: Comparison of Theory with Experiment , 2012 .

[40]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Langmuir Probe Measurements Within the Discharge Channel of the 20-kW NASA-300M and NASA-300MS Hall Thrusters , 2013 .