NanoSpace is Co-developing a New High Performance Low Cost Electric Propulsion System

NanoSpace is involved in an EU project that will develop an electric propulsion (EP) technology that provides a High Performance Low Cost Electric Propulsion system. The HiperLoc-EP will provide critical propulsion functionality for micro satellite and satellite constellations.

Fabrication, integration and propellant costs are anticipated to be several orders of magnitude below conventional EP procurement. The EP system can be designed to operate over a broad range of Isp from ~1000s to ~4000s and thrust scales with thrust head active area (~0.2mN/cm2). This new electric propulsion system will have low volume and low power demands and is ideally suited to micro satellite constraints.

This emerging technology will clearly disrupt the status quo of the space sector by providing a radical improvement in performance and cost, critical to customers hoping to operate in the dawning market for micro-satellite based systems.

The duration of the project is 24 months starting in January 2017. The HiperLoc-EP system is anticipated to operate at an efficiency of 50% at an Isp of 2500s. The cost target for HiperLoc-EP system is feasibility also for CubeSats and nanosatellites. Thus, HiperLoc-EP will provide Europe with an internationally commercially competitive, high performing EP thruster in the timescale 2020 and beyond.

The consortium behind the project consist of - aside from NanoSpace - AirBus DS, Queen Mary University of London and SystematIC.