HYBRID- AND FULL ELECTRIC PROPULSION – WHAT IS CHANGING ORBITAL PROPULSION?
Wednesday 14 October 09:30 – 11:45
Small dulzin hall
The commercial satellite trend in signal throughput, extended coverage, and number of on board channels, is doubling every decade: 3kW in 1990, 7kW in 2000, 14kW in 2010, and in 2015 satellites are at 18-20 kW. Already new platforms with 30 kW are being considered. A main reason for this trend is that satellite total mass and launcher capability is closely linked. The 6 tonne launch mass was the standard in the years of 2000, driven by the Proton and Ariane 5 dual launch capabilities. At the beginning of 2000, satellites based on NiH2 and Silicon cells for the power system were relatively heavy, and therefore started to use Electric Propulsion (EP) for station keeping. Subsequently, the general use of GaAs cells and Li Ion, drastically reduced the satellite launch mass and electric propulsion was little used. However, by the end of 2010 the demand for higher payload power saw the return of EP. Such propulsion systems need significantly less propellant than classical chemical propulsion.
The EP systems have evolved from thermal EP of the 1980’s and plasma / ion grid systems of the 1990’s. These applications were limited to in-orbit station keeping maneuvers yielding savings of up to a third of the customary chemical propellants. Now, the prospect of 30kW payload power is feasible and EP is being considered by most satellite manufacturers for orbit raising and station keeping.
When considering EP, typical trades include thrust, Isp, available solar array power for orbital transfer as well as the business model parameters and especially time-to-orbit and the “transponder to orbit cost”.
Many science and deep space missions are today only possible with EP (Bepi Colombo, Deep Space 1, Hayabusa, etc). Technologies under development at agencies for deep space missions and large systems with up to 200 kW further expands the physical principles and possibilities of EP. The main “propellant” used for EP is Xenon gas, which is very expensive. Therefore and in the case that some of the large all electric satellites will need more than 1 tonne of Xenon propellant on board justifies the need to investigate alternative propellant candidates.
Furthermore, private investment is available for satellite constellations equipped with EP and the current planning is to launch the first set of satellites by the end of the decade.
The commercial satellite trend in signal throughput, extended coverage, and number of on board channels, is doubling every decade: 3kW in 1990, 7kW in 2000, 14kW in 2010, and in 2015 satellites are at 18-20 kW. Already new platforms with 30 kW are being considered. A main reason for this trend is that satellite total mass and launcher capability is closely linked. The 6 tonne launch mass was the standard in the years of 2000, driven by the Proton and Ariane 5 dual launch capabilities. At the beginning of 2000, satellites based on NiH2 and Silicon cells for the power system were relatively heavy, and therefore started to use Electric Propulsion (EP) for station keeping. Subsequently, the general use of GaAs cells and Li Ion, drastically reduced the satellite launch mass and electric propulsion was little used. However, by the end of 2010 the demand for higher payload power saw the return of EP. Such propulsion systems need significantly less propellant than classical chemical propulsion.
The EP systems have evolved from thermal EP of the 1980’s and plasma / ion grid systems of the 1990’s. These applications were limited to in-orbit station keeping maneuvers yielding savings of up to a third of the customary chemical propellants. Now, the prospect of 30kW payload power is feasible and EP is being considered by most satellite manufacturers for orbit raising and station keeping.
When considering EP, typical trades include thrust, Isp, available solar array power for orbital transfer as well as the business model parameters and especially time-to-orbit and the “transponder to orbit cost”.
Many science and deep space missions are today only possible with EP (Bepi Colombo, Deep Space 1, Hayabusa, etc). Technologies under development at agencies for deep space missions and large systems with up to 200 kW further expands the physical principles and possibilities of EP. The main “propellant” used for EP is Xenon gas, which is very expensive. Therefore and in the case that some of the large all electric satellites will need more than 1 tonne of Xenon propellant on board justifies the need to investigate alternative propellant candidates.
Furthermore, private investment is available for satellite constellations equipped with EP and the current planning is to launch the first set of satellites by the end of the decade.
The experts on stage will discuss the different electric propulsion applications for the next decade relating to market prospective, platform design driving parameters and technologies to be developed.
Organized by
Moderator
Panelists
Cosmo CASAREGOLA
Procurement of Propulsion Systems, EUTELSAT
Italy
Local Anchor Sponsor
In partnership with
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Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Sponsors
Media Partners
