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High Power High Thrust Ion Thruster (HPHTion): 50 CM Ion Thruster for Near-Earth Applications

Award Information
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch: N/A
Contract: NNX10CF59P
Agency Tracking Number: 090119
Amount: $99,974.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: STTR
Solicitation Topic Code: T3.01
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2009
Award Year: 2010
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2010-01-29
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2011-01-28
Small Business Information
P.O. Box 131460
Ann Arbor, MI 48113-1460
United States
DUNS: 610511334
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: Yes
Principal Investigator
 Peter Peterson
 Principal Investigator
 (734) 786-1434
 info@edapplications.com
Business Contact
 Jonathan Zagel
Title: Business Manager
Phone: (734) 786-1434
Email: zagel@edapplications.com
Research Institution
 University of Michigan
 Not Available
 
3003 South State Street, Room 1058
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
United States

 (734) 764-1976
 Domestic Nonprofit Research Organization
Abstract

Advances in high power, photovoltaic technology has enabled the possibility of reasonably sized, high specific power, high power, solar arrays. New thin film solar arrays have demonstrated specific powers of over 4000 W/kg (exceeding the current SOA of ~130 W/kg). At high specific powers, power levels ranging from 50 to several hundred kW are feasible for communication satellites. Coupled with gridded ion thruster technology, this power technology can be mission enabling for a wide range of missions ranging from ambitious near Earth NASA missions to those missions involving other customers as well such as DOD and commercial satellite interests. The appeal of the ion thrusters stems from their overall high efficiency, typically >70%. At present, the most advanced and mature gridded ion thruster technology is that embodied in the 7-kW NEXT ion thruster. The proposed Phase I effort seeks to design and fabricate a ion thruster discharge chamber with an equivalent beam area of a 50-cm-diameter cylindrical ion thruster with the capacity to fill the 7 to 25-kW void that currently exist for ion thrusters. The overall effort (Phases I and II) will advance the TRL level of the discharge chamber for the 50-cm thruster by understanding and optimizing the discharge chamber.

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

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