Research of design of a small spacecraft with an electrothermal propulsion system

Abstract

The paper presents the results of solving the multivariate problem of forming the design of a small spacecraft with various propulsion systems based on freons with electrothermal thrusters. As initial data, the required reserves of characteristic velocities for maintaining the active lifetime for circular orbits of 350-390 km for small spacecraft with different midsection areas are determined. Specific and dimensional-mass characteristics of propulsion systems of small spacecraft are determined using a set of basic design parameters of a small spacecraft obtained by random search. Ranked rows of alternative variants of small spacecraft have been formed as the complex total criterion decreases by the multicriteria method of prioritization for various principles of designing a small spacecraft with a propulsion system.

Keywords

• small spacecraft
• low-orbit grouping
• propulsion system
• electrothermal thruster
• random search method
• prioritization method