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Advances in Aircraft and Spacecraft Science Volume 9, Number 3, May 2022 , pages 195-215 DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/aas.2022.9.3.195 |
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Environmental test campaign of a 6U CubeSat Test Platform equipped with an ambipolar plasma thruster |
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Fabrizio Stesina, Sabrina Corpino, Eduard Bosch Borras, Josè Gonzalez Del Amo, Daniele Pavarin, Nicolas Bellomo and Fabio Trezzolani
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| Abstract | ||
| The increasing interest in CubeSat platforms ant their capability of enlarging the frontier of possible missions impose technology improvements. Miniaturized electrical propulsion (EP) systems enable new mission for multi-unit CubeSats (6U+). While electric propulsion systems have achieved important level of knowledge at equipment level, the investigation of the mutual impact between EP system and CubeSat technology at system level can provide a decisive improvement for both the technologies. The interaction between CubeSat and EP system should be assessed in terms of electromagnetic emissions (both radiated and conducted), thermal gradients, high electrical power management, surface chemical deposition, and quick and reliable data exchanges. This paper shows how a versatile CubeSat Test Platform (CTP), together with standardized procedures and specialized facilities enable the acquisition fundamental and unprecedented information. Measurements can be taken both by specific ground support equipment placed inside the vacuum facility and by dedicated sensors and subsystems installed on the CTP, providing a completely new set of data never obtained before. CTP is constituted of a 6U primary structure hosting the EP system, representative CubeSat avionics and batteries. For the first test campaign, CTP hosts the ambipolar plasma propulsion system, called Regulus and developed by T4I. After the integration and the functional test in laboratory environment, CTP + Regulus performed a Test campaign in relevant environment in the vacuum chamber at CISAS, University of Padua. This paper is focused on the test campaign description and the main results achieved at different power levels for different duration of the firings. | ||
| Key Words | ||
| CubeSat Test Platform; environmental tests campaign; miniaturized ambipolar plasma thruster; small satellites | ||
| Address | ||
| Fabrizio Stesina, Sabrina Corpino: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Torino, Italy Eduard Bosch Borras, Josè Gonzalez Del Amo: European Space Agency (ESA), ESTEC, Kepleerlan 1, Noordwijk, The Netherlands Daniele Pavarin: Technology for Innovation (T4I), Via Altinate 125, 35121 Padova (PD), Italy; Università di Padova (CISAS), Via Venezia 59/4. 35129 Padova (PD), Italy Nicolas Bellomo, Fabio Trezzolani: Technology for Innovation (T4I), Via Altinate 125, 35121 Padova (PD), Italy | ||
