Scientists from the Moscow Aviation Institute and Samara National Research University named after Academician S.P. Korolev have created a pulsed plasma engine for nanosatellites weighing up to 10 kg. This was reported by "Izvestia".
The engine runs on gas. The working fluid cylinder can be placed in any free cavity of the spacecraft and connected by tubes to the power unit. The developers call the flexible layout an advantage: it will allow increasing the working fluid reserve on board and the duration of maneuvers.
How the engine works
A pulsed plasma engine uses electrical energy to create thrust by accelerating plasma — ionized gas — in a strong magnetic field.
The design is based on a high-speed electromagnetic valve with a thin movable membrane made of magnetic material. When a short current pulse is applied, the electromagnet creates a field that pushes the membrane, allowing a portion of gas into the engine channel. Then, the pressure of the medium returns it to its original position. There are no rubbing elements in the valve.
According to Svyatoslav Gordeev, a leading engineer at MAI, the engine will be able to withstand more than a million valve opening and closing cycles without degradation of the main mechanisms. This allows orbital vehicles to perform up to 300 hours of active maneuvers. According to calculations, in space, the gas supply pulse frequency will be 1–2 Hz.
Why is this needed
Modern nanosatellites have limited maneuvering capabilities, experts explained. The new device is designed to expand them: spacecraft will be able to combine into complex distributed systems.
Possible applications include tracking the movement of vehicles and cargo, observing weather phenomena on Earth, as well as research for scientific purposes, including observing solar flares and black holes.
Limitations and caveats
The stated characteristics — valve life, maneuver duration, pulse frequency — are provided by the developers. Independent confirmation of test results in open sources is not yet available at the time of publication. The development status (ground tests, preparation for flight tests) is not specified.
MAI has been working on small spacecraft since 1967. The "Iskra-2" and "Iskra-3" satellites in 1982 became participants in the first launch from an orbital station in history.