Flow Properties of a Free Molecule Micro-Resistojet for Small Spacecraft Applications

Interest in low cost space operations and exploration has encouraged the investigation of small satellite constellations which enhance the performance of tasks previously performed by a few much larger spacecraft. Satellite constellations consisting of several spacecraft with masses between 0.01 and 100 kg will be used for various missions 1. The growing trend towards the use of large numbers of small spacecraft operating in local clusters or constellations has created a critical requirement for low power efficient propulsion systems.