Nanosatellites

5 I-2dPropulsion Systems

Flavia Tata Nardini¹, Michele Coletti², Alexander Reissner³, and David Krejci^3,4

¹Fleet Space Technologies, Beverley, Australia

²Mars Space Ltd, Unit 61, Basepoint Enterprise Centre, Southampton, UK

³ENPULSION, Wiener Neustadt, Austria

⁴Space Propulsion Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA

5.1 Introduction

One of the major shortcomings in the capabilities of nanosatellites in the past has been the lack of efficient propulsion systems. Capable propulsion systems can allow the satellites to control their orbit better or perform orbit changes, achieving ambitious missions in Earth orbit or elsewhere in the solar system. This can extend nanosatellite missions to scientific space explorations, long-life commercial applications, or constellations of small satellites flying in formation. Efficient propulsion systems can therefore revolutionize the use of nanosatellites, enabling universities and industries to transition from concept demonstrator missions to real space missions that were considered prohibitive in terms of costs until now.

Integrating a propulsion system enables wider applications for missions requiring precise attitude control, drag compensation, controlled deorbiting, rendezvous maneuvers for orbital debris removal and very low perturbation compensations, orbital transfers, such as maneuvers from low Earth orbit (LEO) to medium Earth orbit (MEO), and transfers from geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) to the Moon as well ...