The NASA Lewis Research Center and Primex Aerospace Company have developed a "green" monopropellant and thruster for replacement of the toxic hydrazine thrusters presently being used on most spacecraft. The thruster developed is a derivative of the Primex 1-lbf hydrazine MR-111C and operates on a hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN)-based monopropellant. Initial thruster tests have resulted in a specific impulse of 195 sec and a density-specific impulse of 275 g-sec/cm3 (which is 25-percent greater than for state-of-the-art hydrazine thrusters).
Lewis contact: Robert S. Jankovsky, (216) 977-7515,
Robert.S.Jankovsky@grc.nasa.gov
Author: Robert S. Jankovsky
Headquarters program office: OSS
Programs/Projects: Projects that use hydrazine or cold
gas thrusters
Previous articleLast updated April 15, 1998, by Nancy.L.Obryan@nasa.gov
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