Heated Gas Propulsion System Conceptual Design for the SAMSON Nano-Satellite (Propulsion)

This paper presents a new cold gas concept of a heated gas propulsion system for the 6U SAMSON nanosatellite. In this type of system, the entire propellant tank is heated to an operational temperature prior to system operation and let to cool down immediately afterwards. The current analysis shows that it is possible to meet mission requirements by using 310 gr of CO2 contained in a capsule-shaped propellant tank. The study shows that the required thrust of 80 mN can be obtained by choosing a nozzle geometry with aspect ratio of 400 and nozzle diameter of 0.25 mm. The resulting specific impulse of such a configuration is approximately 67 sec. It also analyzes the benefits of operating the propulsion system at various operational temperatures between 40°C and 80°C. The analysis shows that low operational temperatures lead to a relatively lightweight propulsion system, short operation readiness durations, and low attainable ∆V per operation. On the other hand, high operational temperatures lead to a heavier system, longer operation readiness duration, and high attainable ∆V per operation.