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Colloid annular thrustors performance tests in vacuum chamber with LN cooled liner, using high speed analog to digital system to acquire time of flight /TOF/ data

Emissive probes for measuring plasma potentials over different ion density ranges on SERT spacecraft, detailing calibration and mechanical and electronic configurations

Emissive probes for measuring plasma potentials over different ion density ranges on SERT spacecraft, detailing calibration and mechanical and electronic configurations

Sputtering yields of aluminum, copper and titanium measured as function of cesium ion energies for use as electrodes on cesium ion engines

Sputtering yields of aluminum, copper and titanium measured as function of cesium ion energies for use as electrodes on cesium ion engines

An annular colloid thruster was continuously operated for 1023 hours. Performance was stable with no sparking and negligible drain currents observed. An average thrust of 25.1 micropounds and an average specific impulse of 1160 seconds were obtained at an accelerating voltage of 15 k he thruster exhaust beam was continuously neutralized using electrons and electrostatic vectoring was demonstrated periodically. The only clear trend with time was an increase in specific impulse during the last third of the test period. From these results the thruster lifetime was estimated to be over an order of magnitude greater than the test duration.