Powering CubeSats

An electric propulsion technology for miniature satellites aims to give them more mobility and may eventually allow them to take on deep-space missions.

CubeSats are relatively cheap to deploy: While launching a rocket may cost between $50 million and $300 million, a CubeSat can “piggyback” onto a large rocket platform at an additional cost of as little as $40,000. But their small size also means they lack on-board propulsion systems, which is why they generally remain locked to a particular Low Earth Orbit.

Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) could lead to the development of a tiny propulsion system shows that would enable CubeSats to travel to far higher orbits which for Radio Amateurs would enable contacts over far greater longer distances.

The propulsion system takes electricity from the CubeSat batteries or a solar panel and applies it to a tiny structure roughly the size of a postage stamp. This thin panel is made of about 1,000 porous metal structures that resemble needles and have several grams of the ionic liquid on them.

By applying voltage to the needles, an electric field is created that extracts the ions from the liquid, accelerates them at very high speeds and forces them to fly away. This process creates an ionic force strong enough to produce thrust.

Read the MIT article Powering cube satellites at
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2010/cubesat-01115.html