Hughes Research Laboratories Rocket Engines
Credits for providing information to Jim Glass
Boeing North American, and Jane's Space
Hughes Research Laboratories
Hughes Research Laboratories
3011 Malibu Canyon Road,
Mailbu, California 90265
Telephone: (310) 317-5000
The development of the 18mN Xenon ion thruster subsystem for telecom
satellites could have use in low force thrusters for attitude control. The
Xenon ion propulsion subsystems (coined by Hughes Research Labs), or XIPS
comprises four 13cm thrusters (two primary and two back-up) power supply.
Each has 439W input off 29.34Vdc, and a propellant storage and control
unit. The total XIPS system mass is 68 kg. The Hughes Company states that
the system was developed from work on a 25cm dia 63.5cm thruster that
provided Isp of 2800 secs at 1.3kW input.
| Thrust | 17.8mN |
| Beam Voltage | 751 V |
| Accelerator Voltage | -300 V |
| Beam Current | 0.405 A |
| Accelerator Current | 0.97 mA |
| Exhaust Velocity | 30 km/sec |
| Isp | 2585 sec |
| Beam Power | 304 W |
| Power/Thrust Ratio | 24.6 W/mN |
| Electrical Efficiency | 51.3% |
| Mass | 5.0 kg each thruster (x4); 6.8 kg each power
processor (x4); 2.0 kg each Xe tank (x2) |
ASI W9800151r1.1.
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