Research on the neutralization control of the RF ion micropropulsion system for the ‘Taiji-1’ satellite mission

Jianwu HE (贺建武); Peng LIU (柳鹏); Runlian GAO (高润莲); Changbin XUE (薛长斌); Longfei MA (马隆飞); Li DUAN (段俐); Qi KANG (康琦)

doi:10.1088/2058-6272/ab7dd5

Plasma Science and Technology > 2020 > 22(9): 94002-094002. > DOI: 10.1088/2058-6272/ab7dd5

Jianwu HE (贺建武), Peng LIU (柳鹏), Runlian GAO (高润莲), Changbin XUE (薛长斌), Longfei MA (马隆飞), Li DUAN (段俐), Qi KANG (康琦). Research on the neutralization control of the RF ion micropropulsion system for the ‘Taiji-1’ satellite mission[J]. Plasma Science and Technology, 2020, 22(9): 94002-094002. DOI: 10.1088/2058-6272/ab7dd5

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Research on the neutralization control of the RF ion micropropulsion system for the ‘Taiji-1’ satellite mission

¹ National Micro Gravity Laboratory, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
² Department of Physics & Tsinghua-Foxconn Nanotechnology Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
³ National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
⁴ School of Engineering Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China

Funds: This work is supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nos. XDB23030300, XDA1502070901, XDA1502070503).

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Received Date: January 06, 2020
Revised Date: March 05, 2020
Accepted Date: March 08, 2020

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Abstract

Abstract

To achieve the neutralization control requirements of the radio-frequency (RF) ion microthruster (μRIT) in the ‘Taiji-1’ satellite mission, we proposed an active neutralization control solution that is based on the carbon nanotube field emission technology. The carbon nanotube field emission neutralizer (CNTN) has the characteristics of light weight, small size, and propellantless, which is especially suitable for the neutralization control tasks of ion microthrusters. The Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Tsinghua University, has successfully developed a CNTN to meet mission requirements. On the ground, the feasibility of cooperation working between μRIT and CNTN was fully verified, as well as the simulation and experimental study of neutralization control strategy, which finally passed the engineering assessment test. Since the launch of ‘Taiji-1’ satellite on 31 August, 2019, the RF ion micropropulsion system has successfully completed nearly one hundred test missions in space. The test results indicate that CNTN does not have performance degradation, and the neutralization control strategy is effective.
- CNT cathode,
- neutralization,
- micropropulsion,
- Taiji-1

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References (19)

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Research on the neutralization control of the RF ion micropropulsion system for the ‘Taiji-1’ satellite mission