QinetiQ delivers ion thrusters to ESA
Above: The QinetiQ Ion Thruster team.
Due for launch in 2017, the mission will be a European ‘first’, using a multiple ion engine propulsion module for interplanetary transfer. To reach Mercury requires an extremely high velocity change, which can be achieved by ion thrusters with modest propellant quantities, compared to traditional chemical thrusters. The engines are based on the T6 ion thruster model, a development from the smaller T5 used by ESA on the successful GOCE mission. These thrusters are more effective for the BepiColombo mission than the alternative Hall and chemical technologies.
This delivery of the engines follows seven years of design and development work. The qualification and flight engines have all been put through rigorous test campaigns in QinetiQ’s vacuum facilities, simulating the extreme thermal environment experienced during the seven year flight time. During the mission the thrusters will accumulate a total ‘on’ time of 20,000 hours, or 2.5 years. The qualification engine remains at Farnborough, to complete further endurance tests.
Sanjay Razdan, Managing Director for New Technologies at QinetiQ said, “This is a significant milestone in the programme and we are pleased to be able to deliver these engines to ESA. Our team can take great pride in the hard work and dedication they have put in to get to this point.”
