Area technology is where possible, getting smaller sized and smaller like the majority of other locations of innovation. In order to attain this though the propulsion systems also need to diminish and this is possibly a more challenging ask. ATEHNA seems an appealing development however ESA and their partners are dealing with two other thruster systems based upon electrospray technology all of which, appear to be bringing appealing results..
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Area innovation is where possible, getting smaller and smaller sized like many other areas of innovation.
Rocket propulsion innovation has progressed leaps and bounds because the very first weaponised rockets of the Mongolian and chinese empires. They were nothing more than rocket powered arrows and spears however they set the structures for our exploration of area. Liquid propellant, ion engines and solar sails have all struck the headings as we aim for more efficient approaches of travel however a team has actually taken the next leap with a palm sized thruster system that could increase future tiny space craft across the gulf of area.
Palm sized thrusters are quite various to the gargantuan rockets we are used to, for example the Saturn V rocket that took the Apollo astronauts to the Moon which stood 110m tall. The distinction for the ATHENA thrusters is that they are designed for manoeuvring and propelling cubesats and little satellites once they are in space instead of propelling rockets from the surface area of the Earth..
The Apollo 10 Saturn V during rollout. Credit: NASA.
The group led by Daniel Perez Grande, CEO and Co-Founder of IENAI Spain, have called their palm sized thruster Athena, not the most catchy title but neatly represents what it does- the Adaptable, THruster based upon Electrospray powered NAnotechnology. The technology has been established for ESA and, following a successful design phase and, if all goes to plan, a prototype will be readily available by the end of 2024..
The technology relies upon something understood as an electrospray which has formerly been used in mass spectrometry however has now found its way into area. Each thruster has seven emitter arrays that are etched onto silicon wafers and each homes 500 pinhole emitters. Electrically charged particles from a conductive salt are sprayed out, moved by means of an electrostatic field to produce the maximum quantity of thrust which can be of the order of 20km per second. The principle is really comparable to the ion propulsion systems currently in use but on a much smaller scale..
Like its ION and liquid propellant cousins the thruster is highly adjustable and can be reconfigured in flight. The little size of the thrusters implies they can be grouped together in any needed configuration with a total of 6 required to fit the face of a normal 10cm cubesats and can be clustered together on satellites and probes of up to 50kg mass.
Rocket propulsion technology has actually progressed leaps and bounds considering that the very first weaponised rockets of the Chinese and Mongolian empires. They were nothing more than rocket powered spears and arrows but they set the structures for our exploration of space. Liquid propellant, ion engines and solar sails have all struck the headlines as we pursue more effective approaches of travel but a team has actually taken the next leap with a palm sized thruster system that could increase future small space craft across the gulf of space.
