New satellite thruster uses negligible amounts of fuel for getting there

Apr 9, 2012 07:24 GMT  ·  By

Researchers at the EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), in Switzerland, announce the development of an ultra-compact satellite motor that could get a spacecraft from Earth to lunar orbit on just one tenth of a liter of fuel.

The goal of the Swiss team was to develop technologies that would significantly reduce the costs currently associated with space exploration. The micro-thruster is meant to ensure that spacecraft can transfer between the two orbits without the use of large motors and significant amounts of fuel.

Increased weight and size for satellite propulsion systems imply the use of larger rockets, which are more expensive to get off the ground. By using smaller spacecraft and less fuel, it may be possible to reduce the costs of a single launch extensively, or launch several missions at once.

EPFL investigators say that their new technology could be especially useful for the field of astrobiology, as scientists are getting anxious to study various landscape features on Mars, the Moon, the Jovian moon Europa and the Saturnine moons Enceladus and Titan, among others.

The MicroThrust motors were developed by a collaboration of scientists at MicroThrust, EPFL and European partners, and they weigh only a few hundred grams. They are capable of providing sufficient thrust to move satellites up to 100 kilograms.

Analysts in the field expect the new motor to be used on CleanSpace One, a spacecraft currently being developed by EPFL investigators for orbital debris clean-up applications. The Dutch OLFAR nanosatellite constellation is also being considered as a possible early application.

According to the research team, the new thruster weighs just 200 grams, fuel and control electronics included. It can fit on spacecraft just 10x10x10 centimeters in volume.

“At the moment, nanosatellites are stuck in their orbits. Our goal is to set them free,” Herbert Shea says of the potential applications for this thruster and the satellites it will power.

Shea is the coordinator of the European MicroThrust project and the director of EPFL's Microsystems for Space Technologies Laboratory, Astrobiology Magazine reports.

“We calculated that in order to reach lunar orbit, a 1-kg nanosatellite with our motor would travel for about six months and consume 100 milliliters of fuel,” concludes EPFL Swiss Space Center scientist, Muriel Richard.