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This activity was aiming to support in-orbit demonstration mission for the validation of ram electric propulsion technologies. It shall provide a plan for the development of an intake system for air-breathing thrusters.

Within the PPU development for a T5 thruster from QinetiQ the Beam Power Supply was identified as the major critical functional block in terms of using planar transformers and GaN transistors in combination with digital control at switching frequencies of up to 1 MHz. Due to this it was agreed to de-risk the development of this functional block for a potential T5 PPU development.

The performance of the Beam Power Supply has been successfully validated.

Use of electric propulsion (EP) is becoming a key issue for the European industry in order to remain competitive in the short to long term on the space satellites market. One of the main constraints for accommodation of electric thrusters and therefore for architecture choice is the erosion induced by the plasma plumes on satellite surfaces, some of which are very sensitive like solar array interconnectors or antenna layers. Also, eroded parts contaminate other satellite surfaces and equipment.

The 22cm gridded ion engines have already demonstrated that beam currents equivalent to a thrust level of up to 230mN can be extracted. This in turn requires a high plasma density within the discharge chamber to be produced.