Development of an iodine Fed Advanced Cusp Field Thruster for Mid-Power - iFACT-MP

iFACT-MP (iodine Fed Advanced Cusp field Thruster for Mid-Power) aims to develop Europe's first iodine fed propulsion subsystem for the 3-5 kW range. This encompasses the upscaling of the Advanced Cusp Field Thruster (ACFT) and the development of the full iodine fluidic chain. To validate the necessary control and operational schemes, a breadboard PPU will be developed that includes supplies, telemetry and functionalities to enable autonomous control of the thruster subsystem. A key building block towards enabling a completely iodine-based EP chain is an iodine fed neutralizer. For this purpose, further improvements and modifications on C12A7 emitter ceramics will be performed. Accurate characterization of the developed thruster subsystem's performance will be enabled by an optical iodine flow meter. A suitable iodine compatible vacuum chamber including a thrust balance and diagnostics for this power range will be developed to perform a full characterization and 500 hr endurance testing of the subsystem.