Development, Qualification and Delivery Status of t he HEMPT based Ion Propulsion System for SmallGEO

The Business Unit Electron Devices of Thales Deutschland has developed and is currently qualifying a novel type of ion propulsion system based on High Efficiency Multistage Plasma Thrusters HEMPTs. The HEMPT Assembly is being developed under the HEMPTIS DLR contract in the frame of the Small Geostationary Satellite (SGEO) program, the platform developed by OHB System for the Hispasat AG1 mission. Currently the change of the program to the new Heinrich Hertz Mission is in preparation. The HEMPT Assembly consists of four HEMPT Modules and one Power Supply and Control Unit PSCU which supplies the HEMPT Modules with electric power and controls their operation. The so-called HEMPTIS program (HEMP Thruster In orbit verification on SmallGEO) initiated by German Space Agency DLR includes all associated component development, system engineering, testing and qualification activities, and the delivery of the respective flight units. With respect to previous status papers, a big step forward was achieved: The manufacturing and formal environmental qualification of all qualification units has been completed successfully. The units will now enter the lifetime testing including the EQM power supply. The Manufacturing of the flight units is completed and acceptance testing has been commenced. The respective PFM-PSCU has been delivered to Thales after successful acceptance testing, as well as the harness. All of these units have been subjected to End to End testing and confirmed the adequacy of the system design. The paper will provide a brief definition of the system architecture, the updated qualification status including an overview of the environmental qualification test results and will refer to the acceptance testing and delivery status of the flight units.