http://www.ists.or.jp/2015/call-for-papers/iepc-call-for-papers/ IEPC (International Electric Propulsion Conference) is the world’s largest forum in the field of electric propulsion for spacecraft, aiming at the exchange among researchers, developers, managers, scholars, and students and at the promotion of thruster RD and space activities. The conference is held every other year in alternation between a US and a non-US location and participants from more than twenty countries come together representing the worldwide electric propulsion community. Succeeding the 33rd IEPC in Washington DC, USA in 2013, it will return to Japan after 16 years, jointly with the 30th ISTS (International Symposium on Space Technology and Sciences) and the 6th NSAT (Nano-Satellite symposium). At a Glance of 30th ISTS, 34th IEPC and 6th NSAT Keyword Category 1 Hall Thruster Ion Thrusters Field Emission and Colloid Thrusters MPD Thrusters Pulsed Plasma Thrusters Resistojets and Arcjets Electrodeless/Helicon Plasma Thrusters Other electrothermal, Electromagnetic or Electrostatic Thruster Concepts Fusion Propulsion and Magnetoplasma Sail Laser Propulsion/Beamed Energy Propulsion Other Innovative or Advanced Electric Propulsion Concepts Cathode and Other Component and Materials Technologies EP Propellant feed Systems Power and Power Processing for EP Systems Keyword Category 2 Physics Fundamental Studies Analytical Modeling Numerical Simulations Laboratory and Space Testing Diagnostics Lifetime Characterization Systems Analysis/Development Flight Programs and In-flight Experience Mission Analysis Terrestrial Applications Important Dates Online Abstract Submission Open Sep. 12, 2014 Deadline for Abstract Nov. 20, 2014 Notification of Acceptance for All Authors Jan. 30, 2015 Deadline for Paper Upload for Student Session only Feb. 28, 2015 Notification of Presentation Schedule for All Authors Apr. 1, 2015 Notification of Selection Results for Student Session Second Announcement and Tentative Program Issue Online Pre-registration Open Online Paper Submission Open Deadline for Paper Upload May 15, 2015
http://www.aa.washington.edu/faculty/index.html 美国西雅图华盛顿大学航空航天系师资情况，有认识电推进研究方向教师的朋友请与我联系，谢谢！我的邮箱：629034@qq.com Faculty Name Title Research Areas Bragg, Michael B. Assistant: Marlene Poches, (206) 543-1829 mbragg@uw.edu Frank Julie Jungers Dean of Engineering Aerodynamics, Flight Mechanics, Aircraft Icing Breidenthal, Robert (206) 685-1098 breidenthal@aa.washington.edu Professor Aerodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Turbulence Bruckner, Adam P. (206) 543-6143 bruckner@aa.washington.edu Professor Propulsion, Space Systems, Energy Conversion Dabiri, Dana (206) 543-6067 dabiri@aa.washington.edu Associate Professor Adjunct in Mechanical Engineering Aerodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Turbulence Ferrante, Antonino (206) 616-0109 ferrante@aa.washington.edu Assistant Professor Fluid Mechanics, Turbulence, Multiphase Flows, Computational Fluid Dynamics Hermanson, Jim (206) 616-2310 jherm@aa.washington.edu Professor Adjunct in Mechanical Engineering Combustion, Gasdynamics, Microgravity Science, Heat Transfer Holsapple, Keith A. (206) 543-6198 holsapple@aa.washington.edu Professor Impact Processes, Planetary Sciences, Numerical Methods, Finite Element Methods, Structures Jarboe, Thomas R. (206) 685-3427 jarboe@aa.washington.edu Professor Adjunct in Physics Plasma Science , Electric Propulsion, Controlled Fusion Kurosaka, Mitsuru (206) 685-2619 kurosaka@aa.washington.edu Professor Airbreathing Propulsion, Turbomachinery, Fluid Dynamics, Acoustics, Heat Transfer Lin, Kuen Y. (206) 543-6334 lin@aa.washington.edu Professor Composite Materials, Finite Element Methods, Fracture Mechanics, Solid Mechanics, Structural Analysis Livne, Eli (206) 543-6643 eli@aa.washington.edu Boeing Endowed Professor of Aeronautics Astronautics Adjunct in Mechanical Engineering Aerospace Structures, Structural Optimization, Structural Dynamics, Aeroelasticity, Aero-servo-thermo-elasticity, Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO), Airplane Design Mesbahi, Mehran (206) 543-7937 mesbahi@aa.washington.edu Professor Adjunct in Mathematics Automatic Control, Autonomous Vehicles, Optimization, Space Systems Milroy, Richard (425) 241-5865 rmilroy@aa.washington.edu Research Professor Plasma Science, Fusion, Propulsion Morgansen, Kristi (206) 616-5950 morgansen@aa.washington.edu Associate Professor Adjunct in Electrical Engineering Nonlinear Control, Dynamical Systems, Coordinated Control, Bio-inspired Systems, Autonomous Vehicles, Human Cognition in Autonomous System Narang-Siddarth, Anshu (206) 543-6679 anshu@aa.washington.edu Assistant Professor Nonlinear Control, Flight Mechanics, Singular Perturbation Methods, Bifurcation Theory and Theoretical Mechanics Shumlak, Uri (206) 616-1986 shumlak@aa.washington.edu Professor and Interim Chair Advanced Space Propulsion, Electric Thrusters, Plasma Physics, Computational Fluid Dynamics Slough, John (206) 221-4820 slough@aa.washington.edu Research Associate Professor Plasma Sciences, Fusion, Propulsion Yang, Jinkyu JK (206) 543-6612 jkyang@aa.washington.edu Assistant Professor Mechanics and dynamics of structures, Design of engineered material systems (e.g., composites, metamaterials, and phononic crystals), Nondestructive evaluation and structural health monitoring You, Setthivoine (206) 616-8628 syou@u.washington.edu Assistant Professor Spacecraft propulsion, Magnetic Confinement, Variable-thrust and Variable-specific-impulse Plasma Thrusters, Magnetohydrodynamics Emeritus Faculty Bollard, John Professor Emeritus Structures, Solid Mechanics, Aeroelasticity Christiansen , Walter H. Professor Emeritus Gas Dynamics, Energy Conversion, Fluid Mechanics Decher, Reiner Professor Emeritus Adjunct in Civil Engineering Energy Conversion, Propulsion, Fluid Mechanics, Aerodynamics Hoffman, Alan L. Professor Emeritus Plasma Science, Fusion, Propulsion Mattick, Arthur T. mattick@aa.washington.edu Associate Professor Emeritus Energy Conversion, Gas Physics, Heat Transfer Parmerter, Reid Professor Emeritus Continuum Mechanics, Fracture Mechanics, Viscoelasticity Russell, David Professor Emeritus Aerodynamics, Gas Physics, Hypersonics, Fluid Dynamics Vagners, Juris (206) 616-3590 vagners@aa.washington.edu Professor Emeritus Automatic Control, Dynamic Systems, Optimization
NASA to Test New Solar Sail Technology Solar sails, much like anti-matter and ion engines appear at first glance to only exist in science fiction. Many technologies from science fiction however, become science fact. In the example of solar sails, perfecting the technology would allow spacecraft to travel through our solar system using very little fuel. NASA has been making strides with solar sail technology. Using the NanoSail-D mission, NASA continues to gather valuable data on how well solar sails perform in space. The Planetary Society will also be testing solar sail technology with their LightSail-1 project sometime next year. How will NASA (and others) test solar sail technology, and develop it into a common, reliable technology? The second of three recently announced technology demonstrations, The Solar Sail Demonstration, will test the deployment of a solar sail in space along with testing attitude control. The solar sail will also execute a navigation sequence with mission-capable accuracy. In order to make science fiction into reality, NASA engineers are testing solar sails that could one day provide the propulsion for deep space missions. Spacecraft using solar sails would travel in our solar system in a similar manner to a sailboat through water, except spacecraft using solar sails would rely on sunlight instead of wind . A spacecraft propelled by a solar sail would use the sail to capture photons emitted from the Sun . Over time , the buildup of the solar photons provides enough thrust for a small spacecraft to travel in space. NASA’s solar sail demonstration mission will deploy and operate a sail area 7 times larger than ever flown in space. The technology used in the demonstration will be applicable to many future space missions, including use in space weather warning systems to provide timely and accurate warnings of solar flare activity. The solar sail demonstration is a collaborative effort between The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA and contractor L’Garde Inc. NASA lists several capabilities solar sails have to offer, such as: Orbital Debris: Orbital debris can be captured and removed from orbit over a period of years using the small solar-sail thrust. De-orbit of spent satellites: Solar sails can be integrated into satellite payloads so that the satellite can be de-orbited at the end of its mission. Station keeping: Using the low propellantless thrust of a solar sail to provide station keeping for unstable in-space locations. Deep space propulsion: Payloads free of the Earth ’s pull can be continuously and efficiently accelerated to the other planets, or out of the solar system, such as proposed in Project Encounter. As an example, the GeoStorm project considers locating solar storm warning satellites at pseudo Lagrange points three times further from the Earth by using the solar sail to cancel some solar gravitational pull, thus increasing warning time from ~15 minutes to ~45 minutes. Providing a satellite with a persistent view of northern or southern latitudes, i.e., a “pole-sitter” project. This allows the observational advantages of today’s geosynchronous satellites for orbits with view angles of the northern and southern high-latitudes. A solar sail system, measuring 66 feet on each side was tested in 2005 in the world's largest vacuum chamber. Image Credit: NASA The Solar Sail demonstration mission will deploy and operate a sail area 7 times larger than ever flown in space with potential applicability to a wide range of future space missions, including use in an advanced space weather warning system to provide more timely and accurate notice of solar flare activity. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is collaborating with NASA and L'Garde Inc. on the solar sail demonstration. Solar sails offer many potential game-changing mission capabilities including: Orbital Debris: Orbital debris can be captured and removed from orbit over a period of years using the small solar-sail thrust. De-orbit of spent satellites: Solar sails can be integrated into satellite payloads so that the satellite can be de-orbited at the end of its mission. Station keeping: Using the low propellantless thrust of a solar sail to provide station keeping for unstable in-space locations. As an example, the GeoStorm project considers locating solar storm warning satellites at pseudo Lagrange points three times further from the Earth by using the solar sail to cancel some solar gravitational pull, thus increasing warning time from ~15 minutes to ~45 minutes. Providing a satellite with a persistent view of northern or southern latitudes, i.e., a “pole-sitter” project. This allows the observational advantages of today’s geosynchronous satellites for orbits with view angles of the northern and southern high-latitudes. Deep space propulsion: Payloads free of the Earth’s pull can be continuously and efficiently accelerated to the other planets, or out of the solar system, such as proposed in Project Encounter. The Solar Sail demonstration will: Demonstrate the deployment of a 38m x 38m solar sail in space (quadrupling the area of the largest sail deployed and tested on the ground of 20m x 20m by L’Garde at NASA’s Plumbrook facility in Ohio). Demonstrate attitude control plus passive stability and trim using beam-tip vanes. Execute a navigation sequence with mission-capable accuracy. 太阳帆简介： What is a Solar Sail? A solar sail is a spacecraft with a large, lightweight mirror attached to it that moves by being pushed by light reflecting off of the mirror instead of rockets. Look here for pictures of possible solar sails. The light to push a sail can come from the sun or large lasers we could build. Satellites in orbit around the Earth can survive for many years without any maintenance while using only a little bit of rocket propellant to hold their positions. Solar sails can be made to survive in space for many years as well. But, because solar sails use sunlight that never runs out like rocket propellant, during those years the sail can move around as much as you want it to, such as from Earth to Mars and back, possibly several times if the sail remains in good condition. A similarly equipped rocket would either be ridiculously huge because it has to carry the fuel for each trip, or would need to be refueled regularly. How Does Light Push a Solar Sail? Electromagnetism Before anyone ever took a beam of light and measured how much it could push, there were predictions that light could exert a very gentle push on objects it hits. James Clerk Maxwell developed the laws describing electromagnetism and concluded that light is an electromagnetic wave. Maxwell predicted that when light hits an object and is absorbed or reflected, the light wave pushes on the electrons in the surface of the object, which in turn push on the rest of the object. If the light is reflected, the object gets pushed twice as hard, just as if you would be pushed twice as hard by a rubber ball hitting you as a ball of clay. In 1901-1903, the Americans Nichols and Hull and Russian Lebedev were able to measure light pressure as predicted by Maxwell. Find a physics text on electromagnetism, like Physics , by Halliday, Resnick, and Krane, to see how the force is derived from Maxwell's equations. Einstein When Einstein developed his theories of relativity, and gave us the equation E=mc 2 , it allowed us to calculate light pressure a lot easier. E=mc 2 compares energy , which can be easily measured in light, to mass and movement , which can easily be used to find forces. E is an amount of energy m is an amount of mass c is the speed of light, about 300 million meters per second If you fiddle around with E=mc 2 , you find that the force light exerts is the power of the sunlight divided by the speed of light . Like I stated above, you get twice as much force from an object that reflects all the light as you do from an object that absorbs all the light. In order to get this simple formula, force equals power divided by speed of light , the steps taken by Maxwell and others had to be taken first. Very, Very, Gentle Force Sunlight exerts a very gentle force. The power of sunlight in space at Earth's distance from the sun is between 1.3-1.4 kilowatts per square meter. When you divide 1.4 kilowatts by the speed of light, about 300 million meters per second, the result is very small. A square mirror 1 kilometer on a side would only feel about 9 Newtons or 2 pounds of force. Fortunately, space is very empty and clean compared to Earth, so there is plenty of room for a 1 kilometer wide sail to maneuver, and there is no noticeable friction to interfere with your 9 Newtons of thrust. A sailboat on Earth wouldn't be going anywhere with that little force because of drag from the water and air. Some rockets can push millions of times harder, but the sail keeps pulling so long as light shines on it. Months or years after the rocket runs out of fuel, the sail is still pulling. Why Don't Solar Sails Use the Solar Wind? Many people assume that because here on Earth they feel wind but not sunlight, that solar sails must be pushed by the solar wind. However, there is a very big difference between space and Earth. Earth is wrapped in a thick layer of gas that is felt as wind whenever it moves. In space, there is no air to move around and cause strong winds like we feel on Earth. The solar wind is an extremely tenuous flow of particles ejected by the sun which exerts very little force on anything it hits. The reason people worry about the solar wind is because many of the particles have an electric charge that can hurt people and electronics, or can push a magnetic sail. NASA：太阳帆将测试飞行或成未来太空动力 http://scitech.people.com.cn/GB/15942459.html 说到太阳帆，你的第一反应是不是和反物质发动机或者离子发动机一样，感觉就像是未来科幻世界中的技术？不过现在正有越来越多的科幻事物正逐渐成为现实。就拿太阳帆来说，一旦这项技术成熟，我们将只需很少的能量就可以让飞船进行行星际的旅行。 在这一全新的领域，美国宇航局正全力开拓。借助之前的NanoSail-D项目，美国宇航局持续收集有关太阳帆在太空中表现状况的相关数据。而就在明年，美国的一个民间机构——行星学会也将对他们的太阳帆技术——LightSail-1项目进行测试飞行验证。那么美国宇航局和其它机构将如何发展太阳帆技术并最终使这一技术成为普及的实用技术呢？ 在美国宇航局即将进行的测试飞行中，有一个技术科目是验证太阳帆在太空中的展开与部署能力，并测试其姿态操控性能。同时太阳帆飞行器还将模拟未来实际任务情形与地面进行导航信号控制调试。 为了尽快将太阳帆这一最早出现在科幻作品中的新生事物变成实用的技术，美国宇航局正加紧进行测试，希望有朝一日它将驱动人类未来的飞船。使用太阳帆驱动的飞船就像在大海中航行的帆船，只不过后者的动力借助的是风，而太阳帆借助的是阳光。飞船将张开一张大大的网，用以收集从太阳辐射的光子，随着时间的推移，积聚的光子将产生足够推动飞船前进的动力。 此次美国宇航局将进行测试验证的太阳帆展开面积将是之前任何一个太阳帆的7倍以上。在此次测试中掌握的各种技术将对未来的该项技术发展起到关键作用，包括使用空间天气预警系统来提供及时和精确可靠的太阳耀斑爆发信息。这一实验验证计划是由美国宇航局和美国国家海洋和大气管理局(NOAA)和系统承包商加德公司(L’GardeInc)共同进行的。 雄心壮志 美国宇航局还专门为这一计划开列了一些其设想中的太阳帆卫星必须具备的条件，包括： 轨道碎片清理：可以在数年的运行周期内帮助捕获并清理轨道碎片 退役卫星清理：将太阳帆整合进卫星设计中，这样当卫星抵达设计寿命之后便可以打开太阳帆，实现卫星减速并最终坠入大气层销毁 轨道自持力：能够使用携带的有限推进剂保证太阳帆卫星能在太空中保持设定的轨道 深空探测项目：一旦脱离地球引力场，太阳帆飞船将能够在阳光驱动下持续加速，一直飞抵太阳系的边缘甚至飞出太阳系。 除此之外，太阳帆还有其它重要的实际用途，比如在一个名为“地磁暴”的项目中就有科学家提出将太阳风暴预警探测卫星发射到比拉格朗日点远3倍的位置上，使其更加接近太阳，这样一来人类就能比现在提前大约15~45分钟对危险的太阳爆发发出警告。 目前这一阶段我们只能将卫星部署在拉格朗日点上，因为这是地球和太阳之间的一个引力平衡点，而假如为了提升预警能力而将卫星进一步放置到更加接近太阳的距离上，其轨道位置就将无法稳定。但是如果有了太阳帆技术，我们就可以借助打开的太阳帆获得持续的动力，从而不断抵消太阳的“拉力”并实现预警卫星在这一位置上的稳定部署。 或者，还可以设想在未来借助太阳帆技术扩展目前对“地球同步卫星”的概念。目前的技术只能将卫星发射并部署在距离地面赤道上空约3.6万公里的轨道上实现与地球的同步运行，一般会被用作通讯卫星使用。但是一旦有了太阳帆技术，我们便可以不再受到纬度的限制，而是可以在南半球或北半球上空部署同样的“同步卫星”，这样一来，其应用价值将无法估量。
NASA Selects Companies To Study Solar Electric Propulsion Spacecraft WASHINGTON -- NASA has selected five companies to develop concepts for demonstrating solar electric propulsion in space. These capabilities are important for the agency's future human exploration missions to deep space. The selected companies, pending successful contract negotiations, are: -- Analytical Mechanics Associates Inc., Hampton, Va. -- Ball Aerospace Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. -- The Boeing Company, Huntington Beach, Calif. -- Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Littleton, Colo. -- Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Redondo Beach, Calif. The awards total approximately $3 million with a maximum individual contract award of $600,000. Each company will provide a final report to help define a mission concept to demonstrate the solar electric propulsion technologies, capabilities, and infrastructure required for sustainable, affordable human presence in space. The ability to move payloads reliably and cost effectively to high Earth orbits and beyond is critical for deep space human exploration. The mission concept studies will identify technology gaps and look at innovative technical solutions for transportation using solar electric propulsion systems. NASA will use the studies to plan and implement a future flight demonstration mission that will test and validate key capabilities and technologies. NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program is funding the studies. The Space Technology Office at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is managing the contracts. NASA Issues Announcement For Solar Electric Propulsion Studies CLEVELAND -- NASA issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) seeking proposals for mission concept studies of a solar electric propulsion system demonstration to test and validate key capabilities and technologies for future exploration missions. Multiple studies have shown the advantages of using solar electric propulsion to efficiently transport heavy payloads from low Earth orbit to higher orbits. This concept enables the delivery of payloads to low Earth orbit via conventional chemical rockets. The use of solar electric propulsion could then spiral payloads out to higher energy orbits, including Lagrange point one, a potential assembly point in space between Earth and the moon. This approach could facilitate missions to near Earth asteroids and other destinations in deep space. Science missions could use solar electric propulsion to reach distant regions of the solar system, and commercial missions could use solar electric propulsion tugs to place, service, resupply, reposition and salvage space assets. NASA's strategic roadmaps for exploration, science and advanced technology all consider solar electric propulsion a vital and necessary future capability. NASA is examining potential mission concepts for a high-power solar electric propulsion system demonstration. Flying a demonstration mission on a representative trajectory through the Van Allen radiation belts and operating in actual space environments could reveal unknown systems-level and operational issues. Mission data will lower the technical and cost risk associated with future solar electric propulsion spacecraft. The flight demonstration mission would test and validate key capabilities and technologies required for future exploration elements such as a 300 kilowatt solar electric transfer vehicle. This Solar Electric Propulsion Demonstration Mission Concept Studies announcement is open to all non-government United States institutions, academia, industry and nonprofit organizations. NASA anticipates making multiple firm-fixed-priced awards with a total value up to $2 million. The deadline for submitting proposals is August 4.
http://fastrac.ae.utexas.edu/news/recent.php http://fastrac.ae.utexas.edu/for_radio_operators/overview.php http://www.spaceflightnow.com/minotaur/stps26/status.html FASTRAC （带有推力、相对导航和姿态控制的编队自主飞行）任务 Is In Orbit! November 20, 2010 FASTRAC was launched into orbit on Friday November 19 at 7:21 pm Central Standard Time! It was successfully inserted by a Minotaur IV rocket into a 650 km altitude, 72 degree inclination orbit. FASTRAC has been transmitting beacon and crosslink data which have been received by amateur radio operators around the world. Control of the satellite was transferred to The University of Texas at Austin shortly after launch vehicle separation at 7:56 pm. The first known FASTRAC beacon received from space was reported by DK3WN in Germany at 12:01 am (CST) November 20. The two FASTRAC satellites, Emma and Sara Lily, were both heard transmitting to ground and crosslinking with each other. Since then, radio contacts have been reported by amateur radio operators around the world. The University of Texas at Austin Ground Station heard the FASTRAC beacon in its first pass over Austin at 6:22 am. The station plans to verify the command link at the earliest opportunity. Once this occurs, the mission will enter its initial subsystem checkout phase. All satellite systems appear to be functioning as planned based on first look data. The FASTRAC mission is divided into two basic phases. The first phase is the science portion of the mission. During this phase the two satellites will be sharing GPS data as long as they are within range of each other. The GPS data will be processed on board each satellite and then stored in flash memory to calculate an on-orbit relative navigation solution. Also, the satellites will be performing attitude determination with the GPS receiver. FASTRAC 1 will be firing the micro-discharge plasma thruster whenever the thrust vector is within 15 degrees of the anti-velocity vector. The data will be relayed to the ground when the satellite is in communication with a ground station. A coordination plan is being developed so that participating amateur radio ground stations can play a major role in collecting this data and relaying it back to this Web site. The second phase of the mission begins by reconfiguring the satellites for use by the amateur radio community. The satellites will be reconfigured so that they can be used as digipeaters and form part of the Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) network. The capabilities of these satellites are governed largely by the functionality of the Kantronics KPC9612-Plus TNC. The satellites will be reconfigured after the primary mission to serve on the APRS network.
The Microcavity Discharge Thruster (MCD) is a novel electrothermal thruster concept. It relies on flat panel microplasma heritage, realizing discharges in cavities as small as 10 m in diameter at pressures up to well above 1 atm. Gas temperatures may reach 1500 K or higher at up to 2 W of power deposited per cavity, and if expanded through a nozzle, an electrothermal microthruster array concept can be realized. The thruster concept consists of two perforated aluminum foil electrodes onto which an aluminum oxide layer is grown. The two electrode sheaths are then bonded, and the perforations form the discharge cavities. A chemical etch forms a nozzle for each cavity at one side of the electrode sheath. Applying a 50-150 kHz, 400-1200 VAC to the electrodes creates alternating electric fields inside the gas filled cavity, leading to low (1%) degrees of ionization and subsequent heating of the partially ionized gas in the alternating electric field.
The 32nd International Electric Propulsion Conference (IEPC) will take place in Germany from Sunday, 11th to Thursday, 15th of September 2011, in the Kurhaus of Wiesbaden. It is organized under the sponsorship of the Electric Rocket Propulsion Society as a forum for researchers, developers, managers and students in the field of electric propulsion for spacecraft. IEPC provides the perfect forum to present findings in the field of electric propulsion and an unequalled opportunity to learn of the latest developments, meet with colleagues and establish new business contacts. The 2011 edition is planned as a return of the IEPC to Germany after more than 20 years (1988, Garmisch-Partenkirchen). It foresees an exciting technical programme with up to 80 technical sessions. IEPC-2011 is organized by the 1st physics institute of the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen where basic and applied research in the field of radiofrequency ion thrusters has been carried out since 1962. An exhibition space of approx. 3000 sqm is available. All the main halls can be used for exhibitions and are linked on a single level, ideal for related exhibitions and conferences. Das Kurhaus, the congress centre of Wiesbaden is a stunning location for balls and conferences. Its facilities, equipment and services are of the highest standard. This historic centre's advantages include: one of Europe's oldest and most beautiful casinos; magnificent foyer for receptions; parkland setting; outdoor restaurant service on terraces and in beer garden; first-class hotels within walking distance; public car park and car park in the vicinity. Call for Papers Abstract submission for IEPC-2011 will be open from October 2010 until March 2011. Papers are invited in all fields of electric propulsion, such as: Hall Thrusters Ion Thrusters Field Emission and Colloid Thrusters MPD Thrusters Resistojets/Arcjets Other electrothermal, electromagnetic or electrostatic thruster concepts Innovative or advanced electric propulsion systems Propellants Power sources Spacecraft electric propulsion interaction Non-propulsive applications The deadline for abstract submission will be the 26th of March 2011. http://www.iepc-2011.de/
The 28th International Symposium on Space Technology and Science (ISTS) will be held at Okinawa Convention Center, in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture from June 5 (Sun) to June 12 (Sun), 2011. The 28th ISTS Organizing Committee and the Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences (JSASS) invite individuals of all nations interested in space-related activities to participate in this event. The Symposium will offer opportunities for all the participants to exchange information and views on a variety of technical and scientific topics as well as on the general status of national and international space programs. The 28th ISTS will be held under the main theme of Exploring Humans, Earth and Space～the quest begins in the island of peace Okinawa～. The symposium will include Keynote Speeches, National Space Program Session, Organized Sessions and Panel Discussions by invited speakers, and the Technical Sessions and Student Session of contributed papers. Sessions The Symposium will address various fields in space-related technologies and sciences. It will include Keynote Speeches, National Space Program Session, Organized Sessions, Panel Discussions, Student and 17 Technical Sessions of contributed papers. Each oral presentation will be assigned 20 minutes (Technical Sessions) or 30 minutes (NSP Session and Organized Sessions), inclusive of time for questions and discussions. National Space Program (NSP) Session (Plenary, invited papers) Overview of the highlight activities of space-faring nations will be given. Organized Sessions (invited papers) -o-1) Hybrid Rocket: A Safe and Green Space Propulsion Evolution -o-2) Global Progress toward Solar Power Satellites(SPS) -o-3) Venus Explorer AKATSUKI -o-4) Solar Sail IKAROS Panel Discussions (Plenary, invited speakers) Threepanel discussions on the following topics will be held in plenary style. The details (panelists and discussion items) will be posted as it becomes available. -Panel 1) Human Exploration in Space -Panel 2) Oceanic Environment around Okinawa as seen from Space -Panel 3) Lessons Learned : Return to Flight of Space Transportation Systems Technical Sessions Technical Sessions will be categorized into the following 17 sessions. The key words for each Technical Session are as follows: a) Chemical Propulsion and Air-breathing Engines Solid, Liquid, Hybrid Rockets, Air-breathing Engines, Reusable Rockets b) Electric and Advanced Propulsion Electric Propulsion, Laser/Microwave Propulsion, Solar-thermal/Sailing Propulsion, Electrodynamic Tether System, Nuclear Propulsion, Magnetohydrodynamics, Microthrusters, Thruster Plume and Spacecraft Interactions c) Materials and Structures Structures of Spacecrafts and Space Vehicles, Structural Dynamics and Control, Structural Analysis, Tests and Nondestructive Inspections, Material Characterizations, New Materials d) Astrodynamics, Navigation Guidance and Control Attitude Dynamics, Attitude Determination Control, Attitude Payload Sensor Calibration, Orbital Dynamics, Orbit Determination Control, Trajectory Design and Optimization, Mission Design, Spacecraft Navigation, Entry/Landing/Ascent Guidance, Navigation Control, Orbital Rendezvous Proximity Operations, Formation Flying Satellite Constellations, Space Robotics Rover, Spacecraft Autonomy Intelligence, Guidance, Navigation Control Components, Recent Experiences Lessons Learned e) Fluid Dynamics and Aerothermodynamics High Enthalpy Flow, Atmospheric-entry, Aero-thermodynamics, Aerodynamic Design, Rarefied Gas, Radiation, Thermal Protection System, Plasma, Magneto-Gasdynamics, Low Speed Aerodynamics, Low-speed Aerodynamics at Takeoff and Landing, Supersonic and Hypersonic Flow, Gas Dynamics, Wind Tunnel f) On-Orbit and Ground Support Systems On-Orbit Missions, Spacecraft/Space Station and Their Subsystems, Spacecraft/Space Station Ground Support Systems, Ground Testing and Simulation, Telescience, Small Satellites, Spacecraft Constellations, New Approach to Satellite Development g) Space Transportation Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs), Expendable Launch Vehicles (ELVs), Reentry Vehicles, Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTVs), Human Space Transportation h) Space Utilization Science and Technology Microgravity Science, Physical Science, Fluid physics, Combustion Science, Fundamental Physics, Microgravity Experiments, Hardware development, Space Life Science, Materials Processing on Moon, Atomic Reactor on Moon, Technology Developments for Human Exploration, Space Science on ISS j) Satellite Communications and Broadcasting System Architectures, Networks and Protocols, Experimental Projects and Results, Subsystems, Components and Devices, Propagation, Regulation, Financing and Marketing k) Solar System Exploration and Scientific Research Mission Analysis and Scientific Research for Lunar, Planets and Small Celestial Bodies Exploration, System Description of Spacecraft n) Earth Observation Earth Observation, Earth Environment, Remote Sensing, Remote Sensing Sensors, Application of Remote Sensing, Data and Signal Processing, Data Analysis, Ground System, Data Assimilation, Global Change Prediction, Earth System Science, Geographic Information Systems, Global Positioning System p) Space Life Science Space Medicine and Physiology, Countermeasures, Metabolism, Neurophysiology, Environmental Medicine, Behavior and Performance, Psychosocial Issue, Mental Health Care, Remote Medical Care and Tele-medicine, Biomedical Technology, Space Radiation(Measurement, Biological effect, Protection), Space Biology, Gravitational Physiology and Biology, Artificial Gravity, Analogue Environments and Simulations, Public Outreach and Education in Life Science, Human Exploration of moon and mars q) Space Power Systems Solar Power Satellite, Solar Cells, Power Sources, Power and Heat Management r) Space Environment and Debris Space Environment, Space Weather, Space Debris, Impact Test, SpacecraftEnvironment Interaction t) Systems Engineering and Information Technology Systems Engineering Methodologies, Systems Engineering System Design, Systems Engineering Process and Tools, Model Based Systems Engineering, Verification and Validation, IT Application for Systems Engineering, Project Management and Systems Engineering, Risk Management, Software Engineering, Requirement Engineering, Knowledge Management u) Space Education and Outreach for the Benefit of All People Space Education, Public Outreach v) Space Law, Policy and International Cooperation International Law of Outer Space, Regulations and Domestic Laws of Use of Outer Space, Commercialization of Outer Space, Property Right of Outer Space, Exploitation of Natural Resources of Outer Space, Protection of Environment of Outer Space, Space Debris, International Peace and Security, National Security, Regional/International Stability using Outer Space, Weaponization of Outer Space, International Cooperation Registration Fee Regular Early Registration (before April 20, 2011) On-site Registration (after April 20, 2011) 50,000 yen 60,000 yen Retired Person 10,000 yen Student (Student ID Required) 5,000 yen Accompanying Person 5,000 yen Pre-registration will be electronically made on the web : Instruction and further information will be given in the second announcement. Participants who are not pre-registered will be unable to make a presentation in principle. Fees for regular, retired and student participants include On-site CD-ROM. Accompanying persons cannot attend any technical sessions. Important Dates Online Abstract Submission Open Sep.1, 2010 Deadline for Abstract Nov. 15, 2010 Notification of Acceptance Mar. 1, 2011 Second Announcement / Tentative Program Online Pre-registration Open Online Paper Submission Open Deadline for Paper Upload Apr. 20, 2011 Note: The author, who has not uploaded the paper by the deadline, is NOT allowed to make a presentation under the No Paper, No Presentation policy. Abstract Submission Instructions Submission of abstract for the Symposium will be accepted electronically through ISTSs web site at address http://www.ists.or.jp/ . Each abstract must be written in English in approximately 200 words. The web site will be open for submittals of abstracts on September 1, 2010. For further information, please refer to the web site, which will be updated timely. Papers will be selected by the program committee according to Scientific interest Relevance to space technologies and sciences The paper submitted for the oral presentation may be included in the poster session, or vice versa, if the content of the paper is judged to be more suitable for the alternate presentation style. The notification of acceptance will be sent electronically through e-mail by March 1, 2011. Authors kit for preparing paper for On-Site CD-ROM and ISTS Web Paper Archives will be posted on this web site around this time.
太阳帆推进是一种新型的无工质推进技术（即不需要携带任何推进剂），依靠反射太阳光光子而产生推力。人类利用这项技术，最终将能实现不用燃料，而只依靠太阳能在太空航行的梦想。 日本宇宙航空研究开发机构的一份声明上说：我们经证实，升至距离地面大约770万公里的伊卡洛斯已经完全展开，它上面的薄膜太阳能电池也已经产生电流。 ( http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2010/06/20100611_ikaros_e.html ) Small Solar Power Sail Demonstrator 'IKAROS' Successful Solar Sail Deployment June 11, 2010 (JST) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) began to deploy the solar sail of the Small Solar Power Sail Demonstrator IKAROS on June 3 (Japan Standard Time). On June 10 (JST,) we have confirmed that it was successfully expanded and was generating power through its thin film solar cells at about 770 km from the Earth. The IKAROS was launched on May 21, 2010 (JST), from the Tanegashima Space Center. We will measure and observe the power generation status of the thin film solar cells, accelerate the satellite by photon pressure, and verify the orbit control through that acceleration. Through these activities, we will ultimately aim at acquiring navigation technology through the solar sail. Sail Deployment First stage deployment taken by a monitor camera Image of the view at the time of first stage deployment * In the above computer graphic, the sails in the process of deployment look like they are slightly swelling, but they are actually not as expanded as shown in the CG. Second stage deployment completion taken by a monitor camera * Harness: electric connection between the membrane and the main body * Tether: mechanical connection between the membrane and the main body Image of the view after completing the second stage deployment
（ http://www.spacemart.com/reports/USAF_Eyes_Mini_Thrusters_For_Use_In_Satellite_Propulsion_999.html ） USAF Eyes Mini-Thrusters For Use In Satellite Propulsion A prototype of a miniature electrospray thruster with four rows of ion emitters is shown here. The thruster is contained within two black plates each measuring about one square inch. Credit: Credit: Dr. Paulo Lozano, MIT by Staff Writers Wright Patterson AFB OH (SPX) Mar 04, 2010 Mini- thrusters or miniature, electric propulsion systems are being developed, which could make it easier for the Air Force's small satellites, including the latest CubeSats, to perform space maneuvers and undertake formidable tasks like searching for planets beyond our solar system . With Air Force Office of Scientific Research funding, researchers led by Dr. Paulo Lozano at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are considering the advantages of electric propulsion over more traditional chemical rocketry. As a result, they have discovered ionic liquid ion sources which are the core elements of the mini-thruster. In addition to the benefits anticipated for small satellites, the technology may have applicability in completely different areas. Fast-moving ions coming out from the mini-thrusters can be used to etch semiconductors to create patterns in the nanometer scale, to fabricate computer chips or small mechanical devices, said Lozano. The team is interested in the properties that allow advances in travel between different orbits in space and the ability for spacecraft to self-destruct upon controlled re-entry, therefore preventing the creation of additional space debris. Lozano predicts that he will have a mini-thruster prototype developed in about four or five months and he expects the technology to become a reality in the next two years. He plans to begin measuring the velocity of the ions and their energy as soon as the prototype is ready to determine the thrust and efficiency of the engine. Later this year, the team will begin looking at how to integrate mini-thrusters to flight hardware. （ http://www.space.cetin.net.cn/index.asp?modelname=new_space%2Fnews_nrFractionNo=titleno=XWEN0000recno=65734 ） 美国空军着眼于将迷你推力器用于卫星推进 新闻发布时间：2010-03-04 迷你推力器或小型电推进系统正在开发中，它们将使得空军的小卫星（如最新的立方体卫星）更易执行太空机动，并完成像寻找太阳系外行星这样艰巨的任务。 利用美国空军科学研究办公室的资金，由美国麻省理工学院罗扎诺博士领导的研究人员，正在考虑电推进与传统化学火箭相比具有的优势。结果，他们发现“离子性液体离子源”是迷你推力器的核心元素。 迷你推力器可使太空中的航天器在不同轨道间移动，也能够让航天器在受控再入时自毁，由此防止产生额外的太空垃圾。除了应用于小卫星，此项技术还可能应用于完全不同的领域。产生于迷你推力器的快速移动离子能被用于蚀刻半导体，由此创造出纳米级模式，制造计算机芯片或小型化学装置。 罗扎诺博士预测，在未来4或5个月内将开发出迷你推力器的样机，他希望此项技术在未来2年将变为现实。他计划一旦确定了样机发动机的推力和效率，就开始测量离子的速度和它们的能量。今年晚些时候，该团队将开始考虑如何将迷你推力器集成到飞行硬件上。（中国航天工程咨询中心 谢慧敏 郭多娴）
日本宇宙航空研究开发机构（JAXA）3月12日宣布，日本将在2010年5月18日发射的伊卡洛斯号卫星上首次空间验证太阳帆推进技术。 太阳帆推进是一种新型的无工质推进技术（即不需要携带任何推进剂），依靠反射太阳光光子而产生推力。 （ http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/ikaros/index_e.html ） March 11, 2010 Updated Solar Sail IKAROS x LightSail Message Campaign Extended until March 22 (Vernal Equinox Day) The collaborative message campaign held for JAXA's IKAROS satellites and The Planetary Society's LightSail-1 mission has been extended until March 22, (Monday and a holiday in Japan for Vernal Equinox Day.) The registered names and messages will be recorded either on an aluminum plate or DVD to be loaded onto the IKAROS, and travel through space toward the Venus orbit. Those who have not registered, don't miss this opportunity! Space yacht accelerated by radiation of the Sun A Solar Sail gathers sunlight as propulsion by means of a large membrane while a Solar Power Sail gets electricity from thin film solar cells on the membrane in addition to acceleration by solar radiation. What's more, if the ion-propulsion engines with high specific impulse are driven by such solar cells, it can become a hybrid engine that is combined with photon acceleration to realize fuel-effective and flexible missions. JAXA is studying two missions to evaluate the performance of the solar power sails. The project name for the first mission is IKAROS (Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation Of the Sun). This craft will be launched with the Venus Climate Orbiter AKATSUKI, using an H-IIA launch vehicle. This will be the world's first solar powered sail craft employing both photon propulsion and thin film solar power generation during its interplanetary cruise. Vast, thin, and strong solar sail A solar sail can move forward without consuming propellant as long as it can generate enough energy from sunlight. This idea was born some 100 years ago, but it had lots of technical hurdles such as the appropriate material and deployment method for the sail. Recently, we have finally seen some prospect of using this technology practically. The sail of the IKAROS is a huge square some 20 meters in a diagonal line, as thin as 0.0075 mm, and made from polyimide resin. On the membrane of the sail are not only thin film solar cells but also an attitude control device and scientific observation sensors. This thin and light solar sail membrane will be deployed using the centrifugal force of spinning the main body of the IKAROS before its tension is maintained. The deployment is in two stages. The first stage is carried out quasi-statically by the onboard deployment mechanism on the side of the main body. The second stage is the dynamic deployment. As this deployment method does not require a strut such as a boom, it can contribute to making it lighter, thus can be apply for a larger membrane.
（ http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Scientist_eyes_39-day_voyage_to_Mars_999.html ） Scientist eyes 39-day voyage to Mars By Jean-Louis Santini Washington (AFP) Feb 26, 2010 Franklin Chang-Diaz, a former astronaut and a physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), says reaching the Red Planet could be dramatically quicker using his high-tech VASIMR rocket, now on track for liftoff after decades of development. The Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket -- to give its full name -- is quick becoming a centerpiece of NASA's future strategy as it looks to private firms to help meet the astronomical costs of space exploration. NASA, still reeling from a political decision to cancel its Constellation program that would have returned a human to the moon by the end of the decade, has called on firms to provide new technology to power rovers or even future manned missions. Hopes are now pinned on firms like Chang-Diaz's Texas-based Ad Astra Rocket Company. In the early days... NASA support for the project was rather minimal because the agency did not emphasize advanced technologies as much as it's doing now, Chang-Diaz told AFP. NASA was focused instead on the series of Apollo missions that delivered men to the moon for the first, and so far last, times. They were mesmerized by the Apollo days and lived in the Apollo era for 40 years, and they just forgot developing something new, he said. Chang-Diaz, 60, hopes that something is a non-chemical rocket that eventually allow for a manned trip to Mars -- long the Holy Grail for Apollonians. His rocket would use electricity to transform a fuel -- likely hydrogen , helium or deuterium -- into plasma gas that is heated to 51.8 million degrees Fahrenheit (11 million degrees Celsius). The plasma gas is then channeled into tailpipes using magnetic fields to propel the spacecraft . That would send a shuttle hurtling toward the moon or Mars at ever faster speeds up to an estimated 35 miles (55 kilometers) per second until the engines are reversed. Chang-Diaz, a veteran of seven space missions, said this rapid acceleration could allow for trips of just 39 days instead of the current anticipated round trip voyage to Mars that would last three years, including a forced stay of 18 months on the Red Planet, as astronauts await an opening to return to Earth. The distance between the Earth and Mars varies between 35 and 250 million miles (55 million and 400 million kilometers) depending on their points of orbit. And the use of ionized fuel could have the extra benefit of helping create a magnetic field around the spacecraft to protect against radiation. Scaled-down models of the VASIMR craft have been built and tested in a vacuum, under a deal with NASA. The next major step, according to Chang-Diaz, will be orbital deployment at the end of 2013 of a vessel using the 200-kilowatt prototype VASIMR engine, the VX-200. Talks are underway with fellow space firms SpaceX and Orbital Science Corp to make that a reality. Despite the hurdles ahead, Chang-Diaz sees the potential for a vast market for his technology -- maintaining and repairing fixing satellites or launching robotic and commercial missions to Mars. His rocket may just launch NASA's brave new, commercial, world of space exploration. A journey from Earth to Mars could in the future take just 39 days -- cutting current travel time nearly six times -- according to a rocket scientist who has the ear of the US space agency.
Fundamentals of Electric Propulsion Ion and Hall Thrusters 内容提要： 本书主要介绍了离子推力器和霍尔推力器的主要基本理论及其在空间推进中的应用。大致内容分为以下几个部分：一、介绍了电推进技术的背景，原理以及相关等离子物理的基础知识；二、介绍了离子推力器中等离子体产生机制、加速机制、栅极系统以及空心阴极等主要结构和组成等；三、介绍了霍尔推力器的基本原理、性能以及物理测试模型等。最后还介绍了离子推力器和霍尔推力器羽流的基本特性及其飞行测试状况。 书籍下载（五个压缩包）： Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
http://www.spacemart.com/reports/Better_Electric_Propulsion_May_Boost_Satellite_Lifetimes_999.html Better Electric Propulsion May Boost Satellite Lifetimes Researchers Jud Ready and Mitchell Walker prepare a carbon nanotube field emitter sample for measurements in the High-Power Electric Propulsion Laboratory of Georgia Tech's School of Aerospace Engineering. Georgia Tech Photo: Gary Meek by Staff Writers Atlanta GA (SPX) Oct 27, 2009 Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have won a $6.5 million grant to develop improved components that will boost the efficiency of electric propulsion systems that are used to control the positions of satellites and planetary probes . Focusing on improved cathodes for devices known as Hall effect thrusters, the research would reduce propellant consumption in commercial, government and military satellites, allowing them to remain in orbit longer, be launched on smaller or cheaper rockets, or carry larger payloads. Sponsored by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Defense Sciences Office (DARPA-DSO), the 18-month project seeks to demonstrate the use of propellant-less cathodes with Hall effect thrusters. About 10 percent of the propellant carried into space on satellites that use an electric propulsion system is essentially wasted in the hollow cathode that is part of the system, said Mitchell Walker, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech's School of Aerospace Engineering and the project's principal investigator. Using field emission rather than a hollow cathode, we are able to pull electrons from cathode arrays made from carbon nanotubes without wasting propellant. That will extend the life of the vehicle by more efficiently using the limited on-board propellant for its intended purpose of propulsion. To maintain their positions in space or to reorient themselves, satellites must use small thrusters that are either chemically or electrically powered. Electrically-powered thrusters use electrons to ionize an inert gas such as xenon. The resulting ions are then ejected from the device to generate thrust. In existing Hall effect thrusters, a single high-temperature cathode generates the electrons. A portion of the propellant - typically about 10 percent of the limited supply carried by the satellite - is used as a working fluid in the traditional hollow cathode. The DARPA-funded research would replace the hollow cathode with an array of field-effect cathodes fabricated from bundles of multi-walled carbon nanotubes . Powered by on-board batteries and photovoltaic systems on the satellite, the arrays would operate at low power to produce electrons without consuming propellant. Walker and collaborators at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have already demonstrated field-effect cathodes based on carbon nanotubes. This work was presented at the 2009 AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference held in Denver, Colo. The additional funding will support improvements in the devices, known as carbon nanotube cold cathodes, and lead to space testing as early as 2015. This work depends on our ability to grow aligned carbon nanotubes precisely where we want them to be and to exacting dimensions, said Jud Ready, a GTRI senior research engineer and Walker's collaborator on the project. This project leverages our ability to grow well-aligned arrays of nanotubes and to coat them to enhance their field emission performance. In addition to reducing propellant consumption, use of carbon nanotube cathode arrays could improve reliability by replacing the single cathode now used in the thrusters. Existing cathodes are sensitive to contamination , damaged by the ionized exhaust of the thruster, and have limited life due to their high-temperature operation, Ready noted. The carbon nanotube cathode arrays would provide a distributed cathode around the Hall effect thruster so that if one of them is damaged, we will have redundancy. Before the carbon nanotube cathodes developed by Georgia Tech can be used on satellites, however, their lifetime will have to be increased to match that of a satellite thruster, which is typically 2,000 hours or more. The devices will also have to withstand the mechanical stresses of space launches, turn on and off rapidly, operate consistently and survive the aggressive space environment. Part of the effort will focus on special coating materials used to protect the carbon nanotubes from the space environment. For that part of the project, Walker and Ready are collaborating with Lisa Pfefferle in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Yale University. The researchers are testing their cathodes with the same Busek Hall effect thruster that flew on the U.S. Air Force's TacSat-2 satellite. In addition, the cathodes will be operated with Hall effect thrusters developed by Pratt and Whitney and donated to Georgia Tech. The researchers are also collaborating with L-3 ETI on the electrical power system and with American Pacific In-Space Propulsion on flight qualification of the hardware. The ability to control individual cathodes on the array could provide a new capability to vector the thrust, potentially replacing the mechanical gimbals now used. The use of carbon nanotubes to generate electrons through the field-effect process was reported in 1995 by a research team headed by Walt de Heer, a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Physics. Field emission is the extraction of electrons from a conductive material through quantum tunneling that occurs when an external electric field is applied. The improved carbon nanotube cathodes should advance the goals of reducing the cost of launching and maintaining satellites. Thrust with less propellant has been one of the major goals driving research into satellite propulsion, said Walker, who is director of Georgia Tech's High-Power Electric Propulsion Laboratory. Electric propulsion is becoming more popular and will benefit from our innovation. Ultimately, we will help improve the performance of in-space propulsion devices. 美国乔治亚技术研究院赢得了一份价值650万美元的合同，研发可以提高电推进系统效率的改良组件。这种电推进系统用于卫星和行星探测器的姿态控制。 研究工作将集中改进霍尔效应推进器装置的阴极，减少商业卫星、政府卫星和军事卫星的推进系统损耗，由此使卫星在轨停留更长时间，能使用更小、更经济的火箭发射，或者同样火箭可发射更大有效载荷。该项研究由美国国防预先研究计划局国防科学办公室（DARPA-DSO）发起，为期18个月，旨在验证霍尔效应推进器更少推进剂阴极的使用。 使用电推进系统的卫星进入太空后，有10%的推进剂势必要消耗在系统组成部分之一空心阴极上。利用场发射阴极取代空心阴极，可以无需浪费推进剂就拉动由碳纳米管产生的阴极列阵电子。由此可以通过更有效地使用有限的星载推进剂，而延长航天器寿命。除了减少推进剂消耗外，使用碳纳米管阴极阵列还可以改进使用单一阴极推进器的可靠性。该装置还必须承受太空发射时机械应力、快速启动与关闭、持续运行、以及在恶劣太空环境下的生存挑战。 为保持卫星在太空中的姿态和重新定位，必须使用化学或小型电推进器。电推力器采用电离惰性气体（如氙），产生的离子再从装置中喷射从而产生推力。 现有的霍尔效应推进器使用单一的高温阴极产生电子。对于携带有限燃料的卫星来说，有将近10%的推进剂被用作传统空心阴极的工作流体。DARPA出资的这项研究将使用大量由多层碳纳米管编制而成的场效应阴极阵列替换空心阴极。由星载电池和卫星光电系统供电，阵列将能以低功率运行，无需消耗推进剂就可产生电子。 此项工作在美国丹佛举行的2009美国航空航天学会（AIAA）联合推进大会上被展示过。额外的经费将支持改进碳纳米管冷阴极装置，以便在2015年进行太空试验。（中国航天工程咨询中心 陈菲 谢慧敏）
（ http://www.spacenews.com/civil/qinetiq-supply-ion-thrusters-for-bepicolombo.html ） Qinetiq to Supply Ion Thrusters for BepiColombo By Peter B. de Selding PARIS Europes BepiColombo satellite mission to Mercury will be propelled by new-generation ion-electric thrusters built by Qinetiq of Britain under a contract with BepiColombo prime contractor Astrium Satellites, Qinetiq announced Sept. 2. Under the contract, valued at 23 million British pounds ($37.4 million), Farnborough, England-based Qinetiq will provide four T6 ion thrusters for BepiColombo, which is being built for the European Space Agency (ESA) and scheduled for launch in 2014. The contract follows the successful in-orbit demonstration of Qinetiqs smaller T5 ion thrusters aboard ESAs GOCE gravity-field-measuring satellite, which was launched in March. ESA officials have said Qinetiqs ion thrusters, which had never before flown in space, have performed to specification. Qinetiq said its ion thrusters are 10 times more efficient than traditional chemical thrusters used on satellites. Qinetiq Chief Executive Graham Love said the BepiColombo work is the largest space-hardware contract ever won by the company. He said he hopes to sell the thrusters for future deep-space missions and in the commercial communications satellite market as well. （ http://news.mod.gov.cn/tech/2009-09/05/content_4084878.htm ） 欧空局（ESA）已经宣布，它最新的被称作BepiColombo的卫星将使用离子电推进器驶向水星，该离子推进器由英国奎蒂克（QinetiQ）公司开发。 欧空局已经在它的GOCE卫星上使用过一个更小型的同类系统由T5离子推进器组成。GOCE在09年早些时候发射，用来测量地球的重力场。BepiColombo计划在2014年发射，将使用4个T6离子推进器。奎蒂克公司称用于两个飞行器的推进器的效率比传统的化学推进器高十倍。欧空局授予奎蒂克公司价值3740万美元合同建造电推进系统。 尽管化学推进系统目前在太空被广泛使用，但是因为需要大量的燃料，它们对于像探测水星这样的深空任务来说不够高效。电推进系统产生的推进力较小，但是它们非常高效，因此对于远程飞行任务来说是理想的推进系统。 离子推进通过电子化或电离气体，并且加速由此产生的离子来推进航天器。此概念在50年前被首次提出，首个使用离子推进的航天器为1998年发射的深空1号（DS1）。从那时起，除了GOCE，仅有少量的其他非商业航天器使用过离子推进：NASA飞往太阳系之外的拂晓飞行任务在2007年发射；日本的深空小行星样本返回任务隼鸟在2003年发射；欧空局的SMART-1航天器在2003年发射并在2006年撞向月球。但使用离子推进器的商业通信卫星很多。NASA最近完成了一种新的离子推进系统的测试，这种系统将用于地球轨道和太阳系航天器，可能准备2013年发射。 虽然技术还需要一些微调，以便使这些发动机更加高效、紧凑和经济，但许多专家认为对于复杂的、需要更多能量的行星任务，离子电推进是肯定的选择。（中国航天工程咨询中心 谢慧敏）
http://www.spacechina.com/zxyzx_gjht_Details.shtml?recno=61482 美国Aerojet公司与日本NEC公司宣布，将联合探究低功率离子推进系统用于美日宇航市场的可行性。 由于具有更高的燃料效率，离子推进系统能够用作地球同步卫星的推进系统和深空任务。日本宇宙航空研发机构（JAXA）与NEC已联合研制了一台低功率微波离子发动机，它利用微波产生离子，具有寿命长和任务可靠性高的特征。 NEC的微波离子发动机目前正在执行JAXA的HAYABUSA小行星探测与研究任务。该任务已在太空运行超过30000小时，验证了离子发动机的坚固和可靠性。Aerojet的电子推进产品目前应用于150多颗运行卫星上。 （陈菲 曲佳） http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Aerojet_And_NEC_To_Develop_Ion_Propulsion_Systems_For_Satellites_999.html Aerojet And NEC To Develop Ion Propulsion Systems For Satellites Aerojet's electric propulsion products are currently flying on more than 150 operational satellites and span a broad range of electric propulsion products. by Staff Writers Sacramento CA (SPX) Aug 05, 2009 Aerojet and NEC Corporation have announced that the companies will jointly explore the feasibility of jointly supplying low power ion propulsion systems for the U.S. and Japanese aerospace markets. Ion propulsion systems can be used for geosynchronous satellite propulsion systems and deep space missions providing significant advantages over traditional chemical propulsion systems due to the higher fuel efficiency. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NEC have jointly developed a low power Microwave Ion Engine that uses microwaves for ion generation, enabling long life and high mission reliability. NEC's Microwave Ion Engine is currently flying on JAXA's HAYABUSA asteroid rendezvous and study mission, and has proven to be robust and reliable, with more than 30,000 hours of in-space operation. Aerojet is a leading supplier of satellite propulsion systems in the United States and has broad experience and technical capabilities with satellite propulsion systems, said Kunio Kondo, senior general manager, Aerospace and Defense Operations Unit, NEC Corporation. Collaborating with Aerojet will help NEC to expand its low power Microwave Ion Engine business in the U. S. market. Aerojet's electric propulsion products are currently flying on more than 150 operational satellites and span a broad range of electric propulsion products. Dr. Roger Myers, general manager of Aerojet's Redmond operations, states that the low power Microwave Ion Engine from NEC provides an excellent complement to Aerojet's broad electric propulsion product offerings. 小知识：微波离子推进简介 离子推进又称为微波电子回旋共振离子推力器，是一种基于微波电子回旋共振放电技术的新式静电型离子推力器，该推力器具有无电极烧蚀、寿命长、比冲高、可靠性高等优点，适用于深空探测等长航时空间飞行任务。
The Call for Papers for the 41st Plasmadynamics and Lasers Conference is now open. Papers that describe basic and/or applied research in the areas of plasmadynamics, lasers, electromagnetics, diagnostics, and related topics in nonequilibrium reacting flows are now being solicited. Contributions on contemporary experimental, analytical, and computational methods with new results are strongly encouraged. The abstract deadline is 5 November 2009. 40th Fluid Dynamics Conference and Exhibit 10th AIAA/ASME Joint Thermophysics and Heat Transfer Conference 27th AIAA Aerodynamics Measurement and Ground Testing Conference 28th AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference 41st Plasmadynamics and Lasers Conference 5th Flow Control Conference 28 June - 1 July 2010 Hyatt Regency McCormick Place Chicago, Illinois To view a complete list submittable topic areas, or to submit your abstract please visit the conference Web site at, www.aiaa.org/events/Chicago2010 and click on submit a paper under the Plasmadynamics and Lasers Conference title.
标签: 电推进
