High-Power Hall Thruster Designed for Exploration Applications

Hall thruster propulsion systems are a classification of electric propulsion devices that have historically been used to perform stationkeeping functions on communication satellites (ref. 1). A 4.5 kW propulsion system that can efficiently perform orbit insertion in addition to stationkeeping is currently being developed in the commercial sector (ref. 2), and NASA is developing relatively low-power Hall thruster technology that is optimized for space science missions (refs. 3 and 4). In addition, the NASA Glenn Research Center was selected by the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate to design and experimentally demonstrate Hall thruster technology at power levels up to150 kW. Solar electric transfer vehicles utilizing high-power Hall thruster technology can be used to deliver cargo for lunar missions (ref. 5) and human Mars missions (ref. 6).

During fiscal year 2005, Glenn completed an in-house design of a 150-kW Hall thruster, designated the NASA-1000M. The NASA-1000M was designed to operate at a discharge voltage of 600 V and a discharge current of 250 A. At this nominal operating point, the thruster is expected to produce 6.0 N of thrust and to operate with 2800-sec specific impulse. A solid model rendering of the thruster design is depicted in the figure. A lower power NASA Hall thruster nominally designed to operate at 5 kW is also shown for scale. A design for a laboratory model hollow cathode assembly also was completed.

Solid models. Left: 150-kW NASA-1000M Hall thruster. Right: 5-kW NASA-173M Hall thruster.

References

1. Randoph, T., et al.: Integrated Test of an SPT-100 Subsystem. AIAA-1997-2915, 1997.
2. de Grys, K., et al.: BPT-4000 Multi-Mode 4.5 kW Hall Thruster Qualification Status. AIAA-2003-4552, 2003.
3. Oh, D.: Evaluation of Solar Electric Propulsion Technologies for Discovery Class Missions. AIAA-2005-4270, 2005.
4. Witzberger, K., et al.: NASA’s 2004 In-Space Propulsion Refocus Studies for New Frontiers Class Missions. AIAA-2005-4271, 2005.
5. Sarver-Verhey, T., et al.: Solar Electric Propulsion Vehicle Design Study for Cargo Transfer to Earth-Moon L1. AIAA-2002-3971, 2002.
6. Gefert, Leon P.; Hack, Kurt J.; and Kerslake, Thomas W.: Options for the Human Exploration of Mars Using Solar Electric Propulsion. AIP Conference Proceedings, no. 458, 1999, pp. 1275-1280. Available from the NASA Center for Aerospace Information.

Find out more about Glenn’s Hall thruster research: http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/hall/

Glenn contacts: David T. Jacobson, 216-433-3691, David.T.Jacobson@nasa.gov; and Dr. David H. Manzella, 216-977-7432, David.H.Manzella@nasa.gov
Author: David T. Jacobson
Headquarters program office: Exploration Systems
Programs/Projects: Exploration Systems, R&T

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Last updated: October 16, 2006

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