Description
Priority 2: Priority 2 activities will only be initiated on the explicit request of at least one delegation.
This activity is to validate and enhance models used to predict the behaviour of electric thrusters in respect to spacecraft interaction, plume stability and analyse thruster performance using in orbit measurements over a 10 year period.
Targeted Improvements: Continuing to gather in-orbit data and experiences, comparing them with the predictions is an important part of validation of the Electric Propulsion; reinforcing its position as an effective adaptation to address Telecom spacecraft design and competitivity requirements.
Commercial platforms have been using electric propulsion for North South Station Keeping for the past decade. These systems have been fitted to existing platforms, significantly reducing the required mass of propellant for station keeping.
It is proposed to repeat and enhance the flight data processing and reporting activity as performed in 2008 via an ARTES-5 contract.
As a conclusion from the previous successful study, it was already identified that a further study should be performed once the first E3000 Plasmic Propulsion Systems (PPS) began to approach End of Life. For the first study, the selected spacecraft was INMARSAT 4 F1 (GEOMobile mission, based on the Eurostar 3000 platform). In March 2015, this platform will be 10 years old.
As further justification, the European platforms currently operate the 'oldest' (in terms of firing duration) thrusters currently in service, thus providing important information on aging effects at thruster and platform level in front of the next generation platforms currently being developed to rely entirely on electric propulsion systems for Orbit Raising, Full On Orbit Control and Disposal.
This activity will be structured in a similar way to the original study but with an increased focus on Flight Dynamics performance and impacts. There is a possibility to perform an in-flight EMI characterisation of the PPS, a task that was not adopted via the previous activity, but for which there is a clear interest.
Execution of this activity will involve Propulsion, Mechanisms, AOCS, Operations and Spacecraft interaction modeling disciplines.