Beyond Gravity passes design review for electric space propulsion
The largest electric propulsion pointing mechanism to date will enable Aerojet AEPS Thrusters on the Maxar-built propulsion element on the NASA lunar space station.
The Gateway space station, an essential element of the NASA Artemis program, will serve as humanity’s first space station in lunar orbit supporting crewed and uncrewed missions to the surface of the Moon and future deep space exploration missions. NASA contracted Maxar, a provider of comprehensive space systems and secure, precise, geospatial intelligence, to manufacture the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE), which will provide Gateway with power and propulsion for maneuvers around the Moon and to transit between different orbits, and high-rate communications.
Maxar ordered a pointing mechanism from Beyond Gravity (formerly RUAG Space) in 2019. This component provides the capability to steer or move the electric propulsion thrusters for maneuvering, orbit adjustments, and performing cislunar transfers during the life of the Gateway. “This is an enabling technology for PPE, which will be the most powerful solar electric propulsion spacecraft ever flown,” says Anders Linder, Executive Vice President Division Satellites at Beyond Gravity. Beyond Gravity completed the component’s critical design review with Maxar in early 2022 as an important milestone toward delivery to Maxar’s manufacturing facility in Palo Alto, California.
“We will provide the world’s largest electric propulsion pointing mechanism tailor-made for PPE’s main high-power thrusters. The mechanism is closely derived from our family of modular, different-sized electric propulsion pointing mechanisms,” says Anders Linder.
Beyond Gravity has more than 20 years of heritage building pointing mechanisms specifically for electric propulsion systems and supplies 2-axis and 3-axis mechanisms for different missions. “Our space mechanisms are modular and adaptable to different requirements and thrusters. That is one of the biggest advantages to our customers,” says Andreas Derntl, Sales Manager in Vienna, where the mechanism is being designed and produced.
Electric propulsion thrusters are increasingly used on commercial satellite platforms and scientific spacecraft due to their advantage in fuel mass efficiency for the spacecraft. The Beyond Gravity pointing mechanisms support electric propulsion thrusters in their nominal position during launch, by means of a dedicated hold-down and release mechanism if necessary, and reduce the mechanical loads on the thrusters via dedicated damper elements. Upon its release, the thrusters can be tilted around two axis. This motion is facilitated by two actuators, which drive the platform either via a strutlinkage around a spherical joint or a cross gimbal type arrangement. A third axis can be realized with a robotic arm. This provides larger pointing and deployment range, for example, for off-loading the momentum wheels needed for spacecraft stabilization.
Image: Gateway PPE, Credit Maxar.
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