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MEMS Colloid Thruster Array

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Air Force
Contract: FA9550-05-C-0169
Agency Tracking Number: F045-005-0236
Amount: $747,550.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: STTR
Solicitation Topic Code: AF04-T005
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2004
Award Year: 2005
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2005-09-07
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2007-09-07
Small Business Information
12345 W. 52nd Ave.
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
United States
DUNS: 181947730
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 James Nabity
 Senior Engineer
 (303) 940-2313
 nabity@tda.com
Business Contact
 John Wright
Title: Vice President
Phone: (303) 940-2300
Email: jdwright@tda.com
Research Institution
 UNIV. OF COLORADO AT BOULDER
 John W Daily
 
Dept. of Mech. Engineering, 427 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309
United States

 (303) 492-7110
 Nonprofit College or University
Abstract

Colloid thruster technology continues to be attractive for spacecraft propulsion, especially since its specific impulse can be many times greater than even the best bi-propellant chemical rocket. However, the technology was abandoned in the 1970s due to low charge-to-mass ratios, which lead to excessively high voltages and large inert mass fractions. The recent advent of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology and improved propellants has created renewed interest. Colloid thruster arrays may produce large thrust levels, while maintaining the ability to deliver a small impulse bit from a single emitter, making them well suited to micro- and nanosatellites. However, a number of technological barriers have prevented full development at the micro-scale. In particular, simple fabrication strategies are needed to create dense two-dimensional thruster arrays. Therefore, TDA Research, Inc. and the University of Colorado at Boulder propose a MEMS-based colloid thruster array concept that is manufacturable. In Phase I we designed, built and tested a MEMS colloid emitter that can be replicated on the same chip to build up a two-dimensional thruster array. In Phase II we will improve upon our design, increase the array packaging density, and demonstrate thrust modulation from individually addressable 2D colloid thruster arrays.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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