Electrothermal thruster diagnostics

Abstract

A flight-qualified electrothermal thruster demonstrated its adaptability to a variety of propellants. Originally qualified for operation with hydrazine propellant, it was operated with nitrogen, hydrogen, and ammonia propellants, demonstrating 73, 61, and 52 percent overall efficiency with these propellants, respectively, when tested over a wide range of operating conditions. By introducing a preheater to admit hot, rather than cold, propellant inlet gases to the thruster's augmentation heat exchanger, delivered specific impulse closer to theoretical performance limits should be achieved.