The USAF Electric Propulsion Program

Abstract

An overview of the current electric propulsion technology development efforts within the United States Air Force is presented. The principal electric propulsion activity for 1999 is the successful flight of the Electric Space Experiment (ESEX), a 30 kilowatt ammonia arcjet system. This program was the culmination of a 10 year development effort to validate high power electric propulsion on-orbit and verify its compatibility with Air Force satellites. Two groups within the Air Force Research Laboratory contribute to the electric propulsion program: Propulsion Directorate and Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). The Propulsion Directorate conducts electric propulsion efforts in basic research, engineering development, and space experiments. AFOSR funds basic research in electric propulsion throughout the country in both academia and industry.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 24, 1999
Accession Number
ADA411891

Entities

People

  • Mitat Birkan
  • Ronald A. Spores

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Electric Propulsion
  • Hall Thrusters
  • Material Degradation Processes
  • Measurement
  • Mechatronic Engineering
  • Payload
  • Propulsion Systems
  • Pulsed Plasma Thrusters
  • Rocket Propulsion
  • Solar Panels
  • Space Systems
  • Spacecraft
  • Spacecraft Orbits
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Thrusters

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerospace Propulsion Engineering.
  • Aerospace Research.
  • Research Science/Academic Research

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster