Vacuum arc thruster

Thruster head of a vacuum arc thruster (VAT). Left: Total view; Right: exploded view.

A vacuum arc thruster (VAT) is a form of electric spacecraft propulsion. It uses a vacuum arc discharge, across an insulator, between two electrodes to produce thrust. A metal plasma is produced from micrometer-size cathodic spots and the momentum from the plasma creates thrust for the vacuum arc thruster.[1] Thus, whereas the insulator is used as propellant in a pulsed plasma thruster, in a VAT the solid metallic cathode is consumed as propellant.[2] Vacuum arc thrusters are used for propulsion on CubeSats, microsatellites, and nanosatellites.[2][1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Kühn, Marvin; Schein, Jochen (1 July 2022). "Development of a High-Reliability Vacuum Arc Thruster System". American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 38 (5): 752–758. doi:10.2514/1.B38202. ISSN 0748-4658 – via AIAA Aerospace Research Central.
  2. ^ a b Schein, J.; Qi, N.; Binder, R.; Krishnan, M.; Ziemer, J. K.; Polk, J. E.; Anders, A. (1 February 2002). "Inductive energy storage driven vacuum arc thruster". Review of Scientific Instruments. 73 (2): 925–927. Bibcode:2002RScI...73..925S. doi:10.1063/1.1428784.


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