Characterizing Cathode Current Dynamics to Reduce High Voltage Transients in Hall Thrusters

To investigate and mitigate the root cause of damaging electrical spikes during Hall thruster operation.

Hall Effect Thruster (HET) cathodes produce high-voltage transients that can damage the propulsion string and the spacecraft. This effort seeks to determine the contributing factors through a parametric study and incorporate findings into future designs that do not produce high voltages.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — 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.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.