TY - JOUR
T1 - Combined chemical-electric propulsion for a stand-alone mars Cubesat
AU - Mani, Karthik V.
AU - Cervone, Angelo
AU - Topputo, Francesco
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Stand-alone interplanetary CubeSats require primary propulsion systems for orbit maneuvering and precise trajectory control. The current work focuses on the design and performance characterization of the combined chemical-electric propulsion systems that shall enable a stand-alone 16U CubeSat mission on a hybrid high-thrust-low-thrust trajectory from a supersynchronous geostationary transfer orbit to a circular orbit about Mars. The high-thrust chemical propulsion is used to escape Earth and to initiate stabilization at Mars. The low-thrust electric propulsion is used in heliocentric transfer, ballistic capture, and circularization. For chemical propulsion, design and performance characteristics of a monopropellant thruster and feed system using ADN-based FLP-106 propellant are presented. For electric propulsion, a performance model of an iodine-propelled inductively coupled miniature radiofrequency ion thruster is implemented to calculate the variation of thrust, specific impulse, and efficiency with input power. A power-constrained low-thrust trajectory optimization using the thruster performance model is pursued to calculate the transfer time, ΔV, and the required propellant mass for fuel-optimal and time-optimal transfers. Overall, the combined chemical-electric systems yield a feasible propulsion solution for stand-alone CubeSat missions to Mars that balances propellant mass and transfer time.
AB - Stand-alone interplanetary CubeSats require primary propulsion systems for orbit maneuvering and precise trajectory control. The current work focuses on the design and performance characterization of the combined chemical-electric propulsion systems that shall enable a stand-alone 16U CubeSat mission on a hybrid high-thrust-low-thrust trajectory from a supersynchronous geostationary transfer orbit to a circular orbit about Mars. The high-thrust chemical propulsion is used to escape Earth and to initiate stabilization at Mars. The low-thrust electric propulsion is used in heliocentric transfer, ballistic capture, and circularization. For chemical propulsion, design and performance characteristics of a monopropellant thruster and feed system using ADN-based FLP-106 propellant are presented. For electric propulsion, a performance model of an iodine-propelled inductively coupled miniature radiofrequency ion thruster is implemented to calculate the variation of thrust, specific impulse, and efficiency with input power. A power-constrained low-thrust trajectory optimization using the thruster performance model is pursued to calculate the transfer time, ΔV, and the required propellant mass for fuel-optimal and time-optimal transfers. Overall, the combined chemical-electric systems yield a feasible propulsion solution for stand-alone CubeSat missions to Mars that balances propellant mass and transfer time.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85077204396&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2514/1.A34519
DO - 10.2514/1.A34519
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85077204396
VL - 56
SP - 1816
EP - 1830
JO - Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets: devoted to astronautical science and technology
JF - Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets: devoted to astronautical science and technology
SN - 0022-4650
IS - 6
ER -