Session
Weekday Session 5: Propulsion
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
This paper presents the outcomes of the initial operations and on-orbit performance of AQUARIUS (AQUA ResIstojet propulsion System), a micro-propulsion system. AQUARIUS utilizes water as a propellant and is designed for trajectory control and reaction wheel desaturation of a 6U CubeSat, EQUULEUS (EQUilibriUm Lunar-Earth point 6U Spacecraft). The spacecraft was launched in November 2022 by SLS, following which the initial operations commenced. Both the spacecraft and the propulsion system were confirmed to be in good health during the checkout process. Performance evaluation of the propulsion system confirmed that it met the requirement to execute the first delta-V maneuver scheduled 38 hours after separation from the launch vehicle. The delta-V maneuver was successfully completed, achieving a total delta-V of 6.48 m/s. The propulsion system demonstrated an average thrust of 5.94 ± 0.21 mN. Subsequently, precise trajectory control maneuvers were carried out, resulting in a successful lunar flyby. As a result of these initial operations, AQUARIUS became the world's first water propulsion system to successfully control its orbit in deep space.
AQUARIUS: The World's First Water-Based Thruster Enabled 6U CubeSat to Complete Lunar Flyby
Utah State University, Logan, UT
This paper presents the outcomes of the initial operations and on-orbit performance of AQUARIUS (AQUA ResIstojet propulsion System), a micro-propulsion system. AQUARIUS utilizes water as a propellant and is designed for trajectory control and reaction wheel desaturation of a 6U CubeSat, EQUULEUS (EQUilibriUm Lunar-Earth point 6U Spacecraft). The spacecraft was launched in November 2022 by SLS, following which the initial operations commenced. Both the spacecraft and the propulsion system were confirmed to be in good health during the checkout process. Performance evaluation of the propulsion system confirmed that it met the requirement to execute the first delta-V maneuver scheduled 38 hours after separation from the launch vehicle. The delta-V maneuver was successfully completed, achieving a total delta-V of 6.48 m/s. The propulsion system demonstrated an average thrust of 5.94 ± 0.21 mN. Subsequently, precise trajectory control maneuvers were carried out, resulting in a successful lunar flyby. As a result of these initial operations, AQUARIUS became the world's first water propulsion system to successfully control its orbit in deep space.
