The NASA Glenn Research Center is responsible for the development of NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion propulsion system. The objective of the NEXT program is to advance next-generation ion propulsion technology to NASA Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5, with significant progress towards TRL 6. This propulsion system design was selected to provide future NASA science missions with the greatest value in mission performance benefit at a low total development cost. Technology validation and mission analysis results earlier in this development program indicated that NEXT technologies could provide the expected benefits and that further development was warranted.
The NEXT ion propulsion system program accomplished a wide range of successful achievements in 2006. NASA’s contractor for the thruster, Aerojet, delivered the first prototype model thruster (PM1) to Glenn in January. Performance acceptance testing demonstrated that PM1 meets performance requirements.
Thermal development testing of PM1 was conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), providing data critical to completion of the thruster thermal model. Qualification-level environmental testing--vibration testing of the thruster/gimbal assembly and thermal/vacuum testing of the thruster--is underway and planned to be completed by the end of the year.
NEXT PM1 thruster successfully completing performance acceptance test.
As of September, a long-duration test of the NEXT Engineering Model-3 (EM-3) thruster had achieved over 6000 hr of operation at the full 7-kW power level--processing over 125 kg of xenon propellant and demonstrating over 5×106 N-sec of total impulse. All wear-related mechanisms remain within pretest projections. NASA’s contractor for the power processor unit, L3-Com, completed the NEXT EM Power Processing Unit, with functional testing on a NEXT thruster planned prior to 2007. JPL performed vibration testing of the JPL/Swales Aerospace-produced NEXT gimbal with a thruster mass model, validating the structural design. In addition, a multithruster test was completed at the end of 2005, with an array of three active and one inactive NEXT EM thrusters, to address system and spacecraft integration questions. Analyses of the results indicate very little functional, operational, performance, and thermal interactions among the thrusters, providing confidence in modeling multithruster systems for future users. In addition, the test demonstrated multiple thruster operations off a single neutralizer, providing significant flexibility in system design and operation.
NEXT multithruster test operations, with illuminated diagnostics probes.
Find out more about Glenn’s electric propulsion and ion thruster research:
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/ep/
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/ion/
Glenn contacts:
Michael J. Patterson, 216-977-7481, Michael.J.Patterson@nasa.gov
George C. Soulas, 216-977-7419, George.C.Soulas@nasa.gov
Authors:
Michael J. Patterson and George C. Soulas
Headquarters program office:
Science Mission Directorate
Programs/projects:
NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster
Special recognition:
2001 Turning Goals Into Reality Award, 2001 R&D 100 Award, NASA Invention of the Year, 2002 Hollow Cathode Assembly Award
Last updated: December 14, 2007
Responsible NASA Official:
Gynelle.C.Steele@nasa.gov
216-433-8258
Point of contact for NASA Glenn's Research & Technology reports:
Cynthia.L.Dreibelbis@nasa.gov
216-433-2912
SGT, Inc.
Web page curator:
Nancy.L.Obryan@nasa.gov
216-433-5793
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