The low-pressure micro-resistojet

Abstract

The aerospace industry is recently experiencing growing interest in very small spacecraft like nano- and pico-satellites. However, these very small satellites are still being developed in most cases without a dedicated propulsion system limiting their capabilities. The micro-resistojet has been recognized as a suitable propulsion system for these classes of satellites due to its scalability and performance. Additionally, it can be classified as a "green" propulsion system since it can use naturally any kind of propellant, including "green" propellants. The Low-Pressure Micro-Resistojet (LPM) is a type of micro-resistojet concept that works under very low pressure. This PhD thesis is focussed on the development of this propulsion system concept with the goal to enable very small satellites to perform manoeuvres. This improvement allows, for instance, to increase the spacecraft lifetime by active orbit keeping. Furthermore it can enable orbit change manoeuvres and formation flight.