The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has demonstrated tiny thrusters for mini spacecraft 50 to 100 times more efficient than previously developed.
The thrusters, developed by Amish Desai, of Tanner Research in Pasadena, use a black powder propellant yielding a specific impulse of 116 seconds – the highest known level of thrust per unit of propellant achieved to date for micro-thrusters.
To hold the tiny, but high-energy explosions created by the powder, the research team had to develop a new structural design to contain the combustion pressure.
In the process they shifted from epoxy and plastics to an aluminum structure.
The next step is to find a way to mass-produce the thrusters using standard industrial techniques.
DARPA hopes to eventually integrate such tiny thrusters into guided munitions, small satellites, and micro air vehicles enhancing their maneuverability at a low cost.
The work was funded under a DARPA Phase II Small Business Innovation award.
