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What is an Ion Thruster?

Editorial Team - SatNow

SatNow

An Ion Thruster is a form of electric propulsion that works on the concept of ionization. This process involves the extraction of ions from the plasma to produce thrust. The ions extracted are accelerated by using electric fields that generate many ion jets together called the ion beam that produces the required thrust for the spacecraft. The process of ionization is done with the help of electron...read more

What is a Pulsed Plasma Thruster?

Editorial Team - SatNow

SatNow

A Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT) is the simplest form of electric propulsion that uses the natural properties of plasma to produce thrust and high velocities with low fuel consumption. Compared to other forms of electric propulsion a PPT usually operates by creating a pulsed, high current discharge across the exposed surface of a solid insulator that gradually removes the material from the surface t...read more

What are Electrothermal Thrusters?

Editorial Team - SatNow

SatNow

Electrothermal thrusters uses electric energy to heat the propellants either into a plasma or hot gas which is then expanded through a nozzle to produce thrust. Compared to both electromagnetic and electrostatic propulsion systems that propel charged ions through the use of electric and magnetic fields, electrothermal thruster relies upon thermal dynamics to propel the system.Electrothermal thrust...read more

What is an Electrospray Thruster?

Editorial Team - SatNow

SatNow

An Electrospray Thruster is a type of Ion Thruster that produces low thrust by using a strong electric field to accelerate charged liquid droplets. Some types of electrospray thrusters use a mixture or a combination of different liquids as propellant and hence are known as colloids. Therefore these thrusters are also known as Colloid thrusters.Electrospray thruster works when an external positive ...read more

What is a Hall Effect Thruster?

Editorial Team - SatNow

SatNow

Hall-effect thruster or Hall-current thruster is a type of Ion Thruster in which the propellant is accelerated by an electric field. Hall effect thruster consists of an acceleration chamber, an external cathode (negative electrode), an anode (positive electrode), and coils to produce a magnetic field. As the cathode is heated it starts emitting electrons and some of these electrons are attracted o...read more

What is a Monopropellant Thruster?

Editorial Team - SatNow

SatNow

A monopropellant thruster is a thruster that uses a single chemical as its propellant. Monopropellants are propellants that consist of chemicals that release energy through exothermic chemical decomposition. This release of energy is usually accomplished with the help of a catalyst. A monopropellant does not require a separate oxidizer.A Monopropellant thruster generates thrust by allowing liquid ...read more

What is a Cold Gas Thruster?

Editorial Team - SatNow

SatNow

A cold gas thruster is a type of propulsion system which uses the expansion of pressurized gas to generate thrust. It consist of a fuel tank, a regulating valve, and a propelling nozzle. The nozzle of a cold gas thruster is generally made of a convergent-divergent shape so that it provides a required thrust in flight. The nozzle is shaped in such a manner that the high-pressure, low-velocity gas t...read more

What is a Bipropellant Thruster?

Editorial Team - SatNow

SatNow

A bipropellant thruster is a thruster that uses two propellants (very often liquid propellants) which are kept separately before reacting to form a hot gas to be used for propulsion.Bipropellant systems require the combustion of two (Bi) propellants. First one is a fuel and the second is an oxidizer. These propellants are kept in separate tanks are then injected separately into the bipropellant th...read more

What is a Star Tracker?

Editorial Team - SatNow

SatNow

Star trackers or star sensors are optical devices that are used by satellites as a navigational tool to determine their orientation/attitude to the stars. The positions of stars are measured using a camera, photocells, and other onboard processing systems which identify the images and process the measured position in the reference frame of the spacecraft.There are around 50-60 navigational stars t...read more

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Satellite Community

What is an Ion Thruster?

What is a Pulsed Plasma Thruster?

What are Electrothermal Thrusters?

What is an Electrospray Thruster?

What is a Hall Effect Thruster?

What is a Monopropellant Thruster?

What is a Cold Gas Thruster?

What is a Bipropellant Thruster?

What is a Star Tracker?

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