THE DEVELOPMENT AND QUALIFICATION OF A 4.5 KW HALL THRUSTER PROPULSION SYSTEM
This paper provides an updated status of the 4.5 kW Hall Thruster Propulsion Subsystem development and qualification program at Aerojet’s Redmond operation (formerly General Dynamics Space Propulsion System) and Lockheed Martin. This subsystem is being developed to support geosynchronous satellite applications for both commercial and military applications. This paper describes the mission application, performance, program plan and current status of the development program. The overall system, including the Power Processor Unit, the Xenon Flowrate Controller, the Hall Thruster and Cathode and the Xenon Feed System is also described. The system currently under development is planned to be used for both orbit insertion from an initial geosynchronous transfer orbit and on-orbit stationkeeping and repositioning maneuvers. The HTPS takes advantage of the dual-mode capabilities and wide operating power range of the Aerojet BPT-4000 Hall thruster to maximize efficiency for each mission phase.
Flight Hollow Cathode for Hall Thruster Applications
The Primex Aerospace Company has developed a hollow cathode assembly (HCA) for Hall thruster applications. The technical basis for its design is the NASA HCA, which is flight qualified for the Space Station plasma contactor mission. The primary objective of the Primex development effort is to significantly improve the manufacturability of the NASA HCA, while maintaining the heritage associated with its performance, life, and reliability. Aggressive cost reduction targets have been exceeded, resulting in a greater than 3 times reduction in cost. Prototype cathodes were tested in multiple life tests, with and without a Hall thruster, for a combined total of >4000 hours. No measurable wear or signs of degradation have been observed. Projected cathode reliability enables a one cathode per Hall thruster configuration to meet essentially all mission reliability specifications. The Primex cathode is now ready to enter a flight qualification program.
Development and Testing of a 4500 Watt Flight Type Hall Thruster and Cathode
* Presented as Paper IEPC-01-011 at the 27 International Electric Propulsion Conference, Pasadena, CA, 15-19 October, 2001. † Copyright  2001 by General Dynamics Space Propulsion Systems. Published by the Electric Rocket Propulsion Society with permission. A flight design BPT-4000 Hall thruster has been completed and two engineering model thrusters built and tested. The thruster development effort is part of a Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC) and General Dynamics Space Propulsion Systems (GD-SPS) funded program to develop a Hall Thruster Propulsion System (HTPS) for use on geosynchronous satellites. The thruster is a high performance, dual-mode capable design enabling both a high thrust/power and a high specific impulse.