Ground and flight tests of AlSat-1B butane propulsion system  

作　　者：D.Darfilala D.Gibbon 

机构地区：[1]Satellite Development Center CDS,Algerian Space Agency ASAL,BP 4065,Ibn Rochd USTO,Oran,31130,Algeria [2]Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.,Guildford,Surrey GU27YE,United Kingdom

出　　处：《Propulsion and Power Research》2022年第1期74-84,共11页推进与动力（英文）

摘　　要：On September 26,2016 Algerian Space Agency launched AlSat-1B,the second in a series of medium resolution earth observation satellites mission.AlSat-1B electro-thermal propulsion system follows the classic design principle that has been used on previous SSTL-100 missions.With a total dry weight of 5.17 kg,the system is filled with 2.35 L selfpressurized butane.The thruster assembly is designed to use 15 W(at 28 V)redundant heater elements,it is designed to have an average mission thrust of 50 mN.With a warm up time of 10 min,the temperature of the butane will be increased by over 250℃.This is the equivalent of about 35%gain in specific impulse over ambient temperature butane.The spacecraft dry weigh at launch site was 107 kg,the propulsion system is designed to provide at least 19 m/s Delta-v to meet the spacecraft’s mission requirement.To investigate the system readiness for flight,a series of performance tests have been completed at the Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd laboratories(United Kingdom),Satellite Development Centre(Algeria)and Satish Dhawan Space Centre rocket launch site(India),the results of these tests as well as initial flight test results are presented in this paper.

关 键 词：SPACE PROPULSION BUTANE Resistojet HEATERS Specific impulse 

分 类 号：V47[航空宇航科学与技术—飞行器设计]