NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center ground-tested a small satellite designed to use one fuel tank for two kinds of propulsion. A combustion thruster is meant for quick moves, while electrospray units would make slower adjustments. The craft uses the non-toxic propellant ASCENT, with components contributed by MIT, Plasma Processes and Georgia Tech. Its dual-mode operation in orbit remains a goal of the planned flight.
Science··Midday
A small satellite clears ground testing
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in the United States put a small satellite called ASCENT Propulsion Dual Mode through ground tests. The craft is roughly the size of a large shoebox and is being developed to feed two kinds of propulsion from one tank in flight. The Marshall team conducted the work in its small-spacecraft servicing and integration laboratory. NASA’s September 25 announcement reports ground testing ahead of flight, not an orbital demonstration of the system.[1]
One tank is intended to feed two thruster types
A conventional arrangement carries chemical propulsion for rapid moves and electric propulsion for slower adjustments in separate tanks. In this craft, the non-toxic propellant ASCENT is arranged to feed a combustion engine and electrospray thrusters from a common tank. That dual-mode propulsion layout aims to avoid carrying separate propellant tanks for the two functions. NASA says MIT contributed electric thrusters, Plasma Processes the chemical propulsion module and Georgia Tech the spacecraft bus.[1]
Operation in flight remains to be tested
Project manager Nehemiah Williams describes the central task as keeping the propulsion system functional across the teams that built its parts. Marshall’s ground work is a preflight stage of that integration. Whether the satellite can operate both kinds of thruster in space remains for the planned flight to establish.[1]
