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Benchmark is developing hybrid chemical and electrical stimulation systems by acquiring technology from AASC. Photo: Benchmark Aerospace Systems
The beginning of interest Benchmark Interval Systems It is getting electricity generation technologies Alameda Applied Science Corporation (AASC) To develop hysteresis system through chemical and electrical energy.
AASC’s technology is Xantus metal plasma thrusters (MPT), and Benchmark announced Monday that it plans to integrate them into its chemical Halcyon HTP propulsion system to form a hybrid propulsion system solution.
Chris Carrella, Benchmark’s executive director of business development and strategy, said most small-sat missions could use high pressure and fast chemical propulsion along with electrical power endurance. via satellite.
“We are engaged in unique ways to work together and collaborate with many power generation companies. “Because of the big satellites’ budgets, volume, size and mission objectives, we were thinking about a hybrid, starting with the ESAP-class and maybe doing something smaller,” he said. “[AASC’s] Metal plasma thrusters gave us the speed control key to deliver this efficiently and economically in the microsat unit. I did not think that we would reach the Holy of Holies. [of propulsion] To the penny-pinching Microsat business class, but we can with AASC.
Having the Kerela hybrid propulsion system allows missions to arrive on station faster, reducing time to revenue.
The companies launched a co-marketing agreement earlier this year, and the response from Microsat-class satellite customers that Benchmark serves has been “overwhelmingly positive.”
AASC President Dr. Mahadevan Krishnan said AASC recognized the need to serve mega-constellations and pursued this technology development and received Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding from NASA.
AASC’s MPT technology is one of five proposals currently under contract with NASA to demonstrate the engine that will propel the satellite from cislunar space to orbit around the Moon and remain a precursor to powering future constellations for a few months. NASA Cubes Around the Moon.
“This engine, which weighs 4 kg and holds only 2 litres, can do heaters where other competing technologies are much bulkier and require more complexity with fuel tanks. It doesn’t need any. It’s a cold-start engine with no moving parts,” said Krishnan.
The engine is scheduled to receive a flight artifact later this year on a US space force demonstration mission aboard the Orion Space Solutions satellite.
Karella said the agreement was structured so that AASC would complete the obligations surrounding this technology, but Benchmark is acquiring any new IP or metal plasma thrusters in space as an incentive system. Krishnan will serve as a consultant to Benchmark, and a key AASC staff member will also join Benchmark.
Benchmark sees potential in this technology to support a wide range of in-space applications, including rapid insertion, satellite station maintenance, precision pointing, roll control, collision avoidance and proximity operations (RPO).
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