Qualification Testing of Nanosatellite Propulsion System (Stellar Exploration)

This collaboration focused on qualification testing of a high-performance nanosatellite propulsion subsystem provided by Stellar Exploration Inc. at NASA’s Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) White Sands Test Facility (WSTF). Stellar Exploration had developed the system to prototype level, performing extensive sea-level hot fire testing but the next step required vacuum testing to assess the system performance and lifetime. This was performed at JSC/WSTF which is a unique facility for such vacuum testing. Stellar Exploration has been developing and testing an advanced chemical propulsion system as a high-performance solution for nanosatellite missions with demanding propulsion requirements (>1 km/sec Δv). This design leverages mature hypergolic storable propulsion technology to lower the design risk. Such an approach requires dealing with hazardous propellants. However, the key technology being tested in Stellar Exploration's bipropellant thruster is the propellant pump. This pump is an enabling technology for launch safety approval (no stored gas) and system performance (lightweight tanks) because tanks are not or are only modestly pressurized. Testing includes a propulsion system composed of a monopropellant system, as well as bipropellant systems. Testing objectives include steady-state lifetime stress-testing and pulsed lifetime stress testing. Thrust and specific impulse measurements were taken. In addition to Stellar Exploration and WSTF, NASA’s Ames Research Center and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center provided technical consultation on small spacecraft operational constraints and mission requirements for technology advancement.

The developed propulsion system uses well understood chemical propellants (hydrazine and NTO/MON-3) and offers significant Δv capability in the km/s range for nanosatellite and microsatellite missions, in the CubeSat and Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter classes. In addition, the system addresses range safety concerns, which is especially critical for secondary launch opportunities, common for nanosatellites. The system is fully sealed, with exclusively welded joints (except for fill/drain valve which meets the required triple-redundancy). All margins of safety significantly exceed the required limits. Triple-inhibits are implemented against any hazardous actions. One major safety advantage of this propulsion design is the absence of any significant pressure. Small gear electric pumps are employed to pressurize the thruster, thus not requiring conventional blowdown or regulated pressure propellant tanks. Propellants are stored in tanks at their nominal vapor pressure, with modest blanket inert gas. Eliminating pressure storage in the propulsion system is the great enabler for reducing the range safety impacts due to absence of any significant pressure in the system during ground handling and launch. Additionally, the integrated propulsion system envelope is sized to be compatible with the satellite launch constraints in the CubeSat/ESPA class. The completed qualification of this high-performance nanosatellite propulsion would enable multiple missions in the science and planetary exploration arena which are not plausible today.

This is a mature technology (TRL 8) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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