Researchers at Imperial college London, under ESA’s General Support Technology Program (GSTP), are developing an Iridium Catalyzed Electrolysis CubeSat Thruster (ICE-Cube Thruster), which is essentially a micro-scale rocket engine. It uses hydrogen and oxygen propellants produced by the electrolysis of water and is designed to produce a thrust of just 4.5mN.
This fingertip-sized rocket engine is designed to transport nanosats, or tiny satellites that weigh less than 10 kg (22 lb). These satellites usually have specific requirements, making integrating a conventional propulsion system very difficult. Why? It would have to be extremely small, operate in minimal power and use unpressurized, non-toxic propellants. The ICE-Cube thruster meets all of those requirements, as it utilizes an electrolyzer to split water into hydrogen and oxygen in space, which is then fed directly to the thruster.
- Feed a passion for science and technology – Kids can learn more about the challenges of space exploration with this LEGO Technic NASA Mars Rover...
- Conduct a test flight – This advanced building kit for kids ages 10 and up includes a buildable toy version of NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter, which...
- AR brings the mission to life – The accompanying augmented reality app experience lets kids dive into the details of the rover and its mission
Fabricating such a tiny thruster is not feasible using conventional manufacturing techniques (the combustion chamber and nozzle are less than 1mm in length) and can only be achieved using a MEMS (Micro-Electrical Mechanical Systems) approach. This is the same fabrication approach used to manufacture micro-electronics such as processors, and it allows silicon wafers to be machined with sub-micrometer precision,” said the researchers.
