Experimental investigation of mercury propellant feed isolators for Kaufman thrusters
Performance tests on high voltage isolator for mercury propellant feed system of ion engine
Nakanishi, S.↗
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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Prevention of high voltage breakdown in ion propulsion systems
Techniques used to prevent high voltage breakdown in ion engine used on NASA SERT-1 flight
Work, G. A.↗
Experimental studies with a mercury bombardment thrustor system
Performance tests of mercury electron bombardment ion engine system
Masek, T. D.↗
ATS-D launch scheduled
Experimental design and prelaunch data on ATS-D equipped with image orthicon, microwave transmission equipment, and ion engine
Source record↗
Automatic controls for facilities and mercury ion thrusters in durability testing
Automatic thruster and vacuum apparatus control for ion engine durability tests
Nichols, C. R.↗
Solar-electric-propulsion systems for unmanned space missions.
Electric propulsion ion engine systems using solar power source for Mars and Jupiter exploratory unmanned spacecraft is adaptable to existing launch vehicles
Molitor, J. H.↗
Research and advanced concepts
Hollow cathode operation and plasma discharge in mercury ion engine, potential distribution of glow discharge, and liquid metal MHD power conversion
Source record↗
Cesium microthruster system.
Cesium microthrustor system using beam deflection for satellite control, describing ion engine subsystem and control logic/power conditioner subsystem
Collett, C. R.↗
Launching of SERT 2
In-orbit performance tests of ion engines and exhaust effects on SERT 2 equipment
Source record↗
Mars and Venus orbiter spacecraft electric propulsion systems
Mars and Venus orbiter spacecraft electric propulsion system, discussing Hg electron bombardment ion engine
Molitor, J. H.↗
Nuclear electromagnetic propulsion
Plasma accelerators for nuclear EM propulsion, considering power supply requirements and differences between plasma and ion engines
Stratton, T. F.↗
System for monitoring the presence of neutrals in a stream of ions Patent
System for monitoring presence of neutrals in streams of ions - ion engine control
Del Curto, B.↗
Propulsion system design for solar electric spacecraft
Solar electric propulsion system design for interplanetary spacecraft, describing Hg bombardment ion engine
Kerrisk, D. J.↗
Study of a comet rendezvous mission. Volume 2: Appendices
Appendices to the comet Encke rendezvous mission consider relative positions of comet, earth and sun; viewing condition for Encke; detection of Taurid meteor streams; ephemeris of comet Encke; microwave and optical techniques in rendezvous mission; approach instruments; electrostatic equilibrium of ion engine spacecraft; comet flyby data for rendezvous spacecraft assembly; observations of P/Encke extracted from a compilation; and summary of technical innovations.
Source record↗
Potassium permanganate for mercury vapor environmental control
Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) was evaluated for application in removing mercury vapor from exhaust air systems. The KMnO4 may be used in water solution with a liquid spray scrubber system or as a solid adsorber bed material when impregnated onto a zeolite. Air samples contaminated with as much as 112 mg/cu m of mercury were scrubbed to 0.06mg/cum with the KMnO4-impregnated zeolite (molecular sieve material). The water spray solution of permanganate was also found to be as effective as the impregnated zeolite. The KMnO4-impregnated zeolite was applied as a solid adsorber material to (1) a hardware decontamination system, (2) a model incinerator, and (3) a high vacuum chamber for ion engine testing with mercury as the propellant. A liquid scrubber system was also applied in an incinerator system. Based on the results of these experiments, it is concluded that the use of KMnO4 can be an effective method for controlling noxious mercury vapor.
Kuivinen, D. E.↗
Spacecraft ion beam noise effects
An estimate of the antenna noise temperature and the uplink signal-to-noise ratio has been made for Bremsstrahlung radiation emitted by a spacecraft ion beam; a worst-case situation in which the spacecraft antenna is located in the exit plane of the ion beam and directed at varying angles into the ion beam is assumed. Numerical results of the antenna noise temperature versus antenna pointing angle are given for a typical set of ion beam and antenna pattern parameters. The uplink signal-to-noise ratio due to the ion beam noise alone is given in terms of a critical range in AU at which a typical ranging transmission is received with S/N = 0 db. The effects of the ion beam divergence angle and antenna distance on the ion beam are also presented. Results of the study show typical increases in the antenna noise temperature of about 0.2 K and critical ranges of the order of 3-5 AU. An ion engine thus generally introduces an undetectable level of noise into a spacecraft receiver.
Anenberg, G. L.↗
A high-power communications technology satellite for the 12 and 14 GHz bands.
Description of the mission, subsystems and communication capabilities of a joint Communications Technology Satellite (CTS) scheduled for launch in 1975 by the Canadian Department of Communications in cooperation with NASA. The principal objectives of the mission are TV transmission at 12 GHz to low-cost ground terminals, up-link TV transmission at 14 GHz transportable terminals, and flight tests of spacecraft subsystems and components for future communications satellites. The major advanced spacecraft subsystems are a novel superefficiency TWT design, a 0.4 mlb Mercury Bombardment ion engine for north-south station keeping, a 3-axis stabilization system to maintain a high antenna boresight pointing accuracy, a liquid metal slip ring experiment, and a lightweight extendible solar array with an initial power output greater than 1 kW.
Franklin, C. A.↗