PPT Development for Nanosatellite Applications: Experimental Results

In this paper, the design and performances of a pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) for nanosatellite applications will be presented. The breadboard model PPT presented in this paper will be a part of six PPTs propulsion system designed to provide attitude and translational control for a 20-kg nanosatellite for a total delta-V of 40 m/s. The thruster performances have been characterized in terms of electrical parameters, mass bit, impulse bit, and specific impulse. The thruster was found to be compliant with the mission requirement. Moreover, preliminary electromagnetic noise interference measurements have been performed. The spark plug discharge was found to be the main source of noise as already found by previous authors. From the collected data, it can be inferred that the noise is mostly radiated.