TY  - JOUR
A1  - Kramer, Alexander
A1  - Bangert, Philip
A1  - Schilling, Klaus
T1  - UWE-4: First Electric Propulsion on a 1U CubeSat — In-Orbit Experiments and Characterization
T2  - Aerospace
N2  - The electric propulsion system NanoFEEP was integrated and tested in orbit on the UWE-4 satellite, which marks the first successful demonstration of an electric propulsion system on board a 1U CubeSat. In-orbit characterization measurements of the heating process of the propellant and the power consumption of the propulsion system at different thrust levels are presented. Furthermore, an analysis of the thrust vector direction based on its effect on the attitude of the spacecraft is described. The employed heater liquefies the propellant for a duration of 30 min per orbit and consumes 103 ± 4 mW. During this time, the respective thruster can be activated. The propulsion system including one thruster head, its corresponding heater, the neutralizer and the digital components of the power processing unit consume 8.5 ± 0.1 mW ⋅μ A\(^{−1}\) + 184 ± 8.5 mW and scales with the emitter current. The estimated thrust directions of two thruster heads are at angles of 15.7 ± 7.6∘ and 13.2 ± 5.5∘ relative to their mounting direction in the CubeSat structure. In light of the very limited power on a 1U CubeSat, the NanoFEEP propulsion system renders a very viable option. The heater of subsequent NanoFEEP thrusters was already improved, such that the system can be activated during the whole orbit period.
KW  - CubeSat
KW  - UWE-4
KW  - electric propulsion
KW  - NanoFEEP
KW  - power consumption
KW  - thrust direction
KW  - characterization
KW  - in-orbit experiments
Y1  - 2020
UR  - https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/23612
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-236124
VL  - 7
IS  - 7
ER  -