Spacecraft with modulated thrust electrostatic ion thruster and

Details Spacecraft with modulated thrust electrostatic ion thruster and Spacecraft with modulated thrust electrostatic ion thruster and

1987-04-23

1989-05-02

Stout, Donald E.

Power plants

Reaction motor

Ion motor

60204, 244169, 3133601, 31511131, F03H 100, H05H 116

Patent

active

048256463

ABSTRACT:
An axial electrostatic ion thruster for use on a dual-spin stabilized spacecraft is disclosed. The thruster is mounted on the spun portion of the spacecraft and continuously fired for an integral number of spin periods to provide north-south velocity and attitude control. To achieve zero attitude precession with a statically imbalanced despun platform, or an intentional attitude precession generally, the ion thrust is spin-synchronously varied between two non-zero levels to achieve a prescribed Fourier component amplitude and phase at the spin frequency. Modulation of the thrust is achieved with constant ion beam current by complementary modulation of the beam voltage, V.sub.B, and accel voltage, V.sub.A by varying the ion extraction system grid voltages. This varies the thrust while maintaining a constant total accelerating voltage V.sub.TOT =V.sub.B +.vertline.V.sub.A .vertline..

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patent: 3997137 (1976-12-01), Phillips
patent: 4104875 (1978-08-01), Birner et al.
patent: 4439684 (1984-03-01), Hemmerich et al.
Journal of Propulsion and Power, vol. 1, No. 3, May-Jun. 1985, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., (New York, US), D.C. Rovang et al., "Ion Extraction Capabilities of Two-Grid Accelerator Systems", pp. 172-179 see FIG. 4, p. 174, left-hand col., paragraph Effect of Net-To-Total Accelerating Voltage Ratio.
Journal of Propulsion and Power, vol. 2, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 1986, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., (New York, US), S. Kitamura et al., "ETS-III Ion Engine Flight Operations in the Extended Mission Period", pp. 513-520 see p. 514, right-hand col., paragraph 3, sentences 1,2; table 1, remark.

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