Arcjet rocket
An arcjet rocket or arcjet thruster is a form of
When the energy is available, arcjets are well suited to keeping stations in orbit and can replace monopropellant rockets.
Aerojet MR-510 series arcjet engines are currently used on Lockheed Martin A2100 satellites using hydrazine as a propellant,[3] providing over 585 s average specific impulse at 2 kW.[4]
In Germany, researchers at the University of Stuttgart's Institute of Space Aviation Systems have been looking into these challenges for years and have developed various hydrogen-powered arcjet engines capable of power outputs from 1 to 100 kW. The heated hydrogen reaches exit speeds of 16 kilometres per second (9.9 mi/s). An arcjet-propelled test satellite by the name of Baden-Württemberg 1 (BW1) was scheduled to go to the Moon by 2010. No such launch has yet occurred. Baden-Württemberg 1 would have used polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) propellant.[5]
References
- ^ John, R. R., Bennett, S., and Connors, J. P., "Arcjet Engine Performance: Experiment and Theory," AIAA Journal, Vol. 1, No. 11, Nov. 1963. http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/pdf/10.2514/3.2103
- ^ Wallner, Lewis E. and Czika, Joseph, Jr, ARC-Jet Thrustor for Space Propulsion, NASA Technical note TN D-2868, NASA Lewis Research Center, June 1965 (accessed September 8 2014)
- ^ "Lockheed Martin Awards Aerojet Rocketdyne Contract to Provide Propulsion Subsystems on A2100 Satellites". Nasdaq. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ^ 30 Years of Electric Propulsion Flight Experience at Aerojet Rocketdyne. 33rd International Electric Propulsion Conference. p. 3.
- ^ Bietigheim-Bissingen, 11/20/2008 Archived March 18, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
Further reading
- Lichtbogenantriebe für Weltraumaufgaben (Arcjet propulsion systems for space applications), Prof. Monika Auweter-Kurtz, B.G. Teubner Stuttgart 1992 Institute of Space Systems at the University of Stuttgart
- Arcjet (Lichtbogentriebwerk)