Systems and methods for embedding a thermal management system in an electric propulsion (EP) system is presented. According to one aspect, one or more oscillating heat pipes (OHPs) are provided within functional elements of the EP system. Each OHP includes channel segments that include a sealed working fluid. The channel segments are joined to form a continuous serpentine channel with a channel path that alternates between hot and cold regions of the EP system. According to another aspect, the functional elements of the EP system are reduced to a single monolithic structure with an embedded OHP. The single monolithic structure may be a single material or a multi material. According to yet another aspect, the functional elements are elements of a magnetic circuit of the EP system, including one or more of a backplate, an outer pole, an inner pole, or a center pole.

The present invention relates to a high efficiency hollow cathode and a cathode system applying the same, and comprises: a tube comprising at least two refractory metal parts; a gas providing unit and a gas outlet which are respectively formed at the distal ends of the tube; and an insert mounted inside the tube. According to the present invention, since the present invention constitutes a hollow cathode using more than two substances, the present invention can not only enhance thermal stability, lifespan and efficiency, but also can reduce costs accordingly.

A high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system, having variable temperature ranges and being applied in space, is provided. The high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system includes: a cathode-anode assembly, a high-temperature superconducting magnet system, a supporting and adjusting platform, a power-and-gas supply and cooling system, and an obtaining control system. The cathode-anode assembly is disposed at a center of a ring of the high-temperature superconducting magnet system; the cathode-anode assembly and the high-temperature superconducting magnet system are spatially engaged with each other by the supporting and adjusting platform to form a main body of the thruster system; the power-and-gas supply and cooling system and the obtaining control system are located outside of the main body of the thruster system and are connected to the cathode-anode assembly and the high-temperature superconducting magnet system.

A thrust producing system includes an RF ion thruster with a discharge chamber having a gas inlet and an outlet, and a coil about the discharge chamber. The system further includes an RF cathode proximate the discharge chamber outlet of the RF ion thruster for ion beam neutralization. The RF cathode includes a discharge chamber having a gas inlet and an outlet and a coil about the discharge chamber. A tank for containing iodine in solid form and a heater associated with said tank to produce iodine vapor. A feed subsystem fluidly couples the tank with the RF ion thruster discharge chamber gas inlet and with the RF cathode discharge chamber gas inlet.

Systems and methods can support a plasma propulsion system. The system may include a thrust head comprising a plasma generator and a thrust generator. A propellant handling assembly may be directly coupled to the thrust head. The propellant handling assembly may comprise a manifold and a plurality of valves. A propellant storage vessel may be directly coupled to the propellant handling assembly. A propulsion control module may be operable to receive inputs associated with the plasma propulsion system, generate control outputs associated with the plasma propulsion system, establish and train models relating the inputs and the control outputs, apply the inputs to the models to update the output parameters, and apply the output parameters to control the plasma propulsion system.

A system for regulating the flow rate of a propellant fluid for an electrical thruster of a space vehicle, the vehicle including a tank of propellant fluid and a flow rate regulator connected to the outlet of said tank; the flow rate regulator including a heater element controlled by a computer and adapted to heat the propellant fluid and to modify its physical properties so as to vary the flow rate of propellant fluid leaving the tank; said system being characterized in that the computer also includes a plurality of empirical calibration curves that have been determined empirically for defining the flow rate of propellant fluid as a function of the magnitude of heating and as a function of environmental parameters, such that said computer also performs a function of determining the flow rate of the propellant fluid.

A system for regulating the flow rate of a propellant fluid for an electrical thruster of a space vehicle, the vehicle including a tank of propellant fluid and a flow rate regulator connected to the outlet of said tank; the flow rate regulator including a heater element controlled by a computer and adapted to heat the propellant fluid and to modify its physical properties so as to vary the flow rate of propellant fluid leaving the tank; said system being characterized in that the computer also includes a plurality of empirical calibration curves that have been determined empirically for defining the flow rate of propellant fluid as a function of the magnitude of heating and as a function of environmental parameters, such that said computer also performs a function of determining the flow rate of the propellant fluid.

An electrothermal subassembly of a steam thruster for nanosatellites. The subassembly has an inlet port for the supply of the working mass, heat exchangers with containing ducts, at least one heating element, a supersonic micro-nozzle, and a plurality of rods forming a truss structure.

A high-power density electric propulsion (EP) system is presented. High-power density functionality of the EP system is provided via thermal management structures that separately manage heat from a discharge chamber with electrically conductive inner/outer walls and an electromagnetic circuit of the EP system. The thermal management structures include separate radiators for rejection of heat from the discharge chamber and the electromagnetic circuit, the heat coupled to the radiators via respective thermal shunts. The thermal shunts include radially inwardly and/or outwardly projecting heat conducting structures that are thermally coupled to the discharge chamber and the electromagnetic circuit. Openings formed in annular structures of the electromagnetic circuit allow radial projection of the thermal shunts.