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Small satellites and electric propulsion - a review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

Ralph Lorenz
Ralph Lorenz*
Affiliation:
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Southampton
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Abstract

In recent years, interest has grown in the use of small satellites for a variety of applications. In certain missions, where propulsion systems are necessary, electric propulsion technology can offer advantages. Small satellite technology and applications are reviewed and some of the features of various types of electric propulsion are discussed: missions where small satellites might use electric propulsion are described.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 95 , Issue 946 , July 1991 , pp. 204 - 213
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1991 

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Footnotes

*

The author is now with the Huygens Project Division, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

References

References

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Electric Propulsion: most standard texts on rocketry and space propulsion cover electric systems to one extent or another. A useful survey paper is Ref. 27 above.Google Scholar
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The fast-moving nature of the small satellite business means there are frequent new projects and ideas. The standard aerospace press covers these. Essential reading is the Proceedings of the Annual AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites, held at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, USA each summer. The 1990 conference had over 50 papers.Google Scholar
More recently the RAeS held a one-day conference in January 1991 at the Culham Laboratory. The papers in the proceedings (ISBN 090340981X) summarise current developments, and UK activity in particular.Google Scholar
An excellent reference on microsatellite engineering, detailing all the aspects of the design, construction and operation of the UoSAT-2 spacecraft is the Journal of the Institution of Electronic and Radio Engineers, Volume 57, No. 5 (Supplement), September/October 1987.Google Scholar
Another useful reference is the Proceedings of the ESA Workshop on Flight Opportunities for Small Payloads, held in Frascati in January 1989. The proceedings are published as ESA SP-298.Google Scholar