Phase Four, the radio-frequency thruster's creator for satellite propulsion, has secured a contract with the US Air Force for propellant-agnostic Maxwell thruster. Under the contract, Maxwell will utilise iodine, a new alternative fuel, to replace the costly, legacy electric propulsion propellants in high-performance commercial and defence applications.
Dr Dan Eckhardt, Electric Propulsion Lead at the US Air Force Research Laboratory, said, 'There is a growing need for more options for advanced electric in-space propulsion, to provide satellites with better manoeuvrability and operability in space at an affordable cost, and propellant flexibility could provide new options for in-space propulsion.'
Phase Four's versatile RF Thruster technology's hallmark is its flexible architecture, which can utilise traditional noble gases and new alternative sources ranging from iodine to water to air. Together with the Air Force, Phase Four will demonstrate major new advantages that the Maxwell iodine-fueled engine can provide to large satellite constellations. This includes vastly lower propellant costs, increased satellite range and lifetime on orbit due to the ability to store more fuel on board, as iodine is 4x denser than traditional xenon propellants; lower risk of debris incidents, due to the elimination of high-pressure storage and increased sustainability, due to the ability to decommission and responsibly dispose of satellites at their end of life.
'Iodine is a promising propellant, due to its densely storable nature, lack of high-pressure components, and performance potential, compared to traditional noble gas propellants like xenon,' said Phase Four CTO, Umair Siddiqui. 'More efficient smallsat propulsion systems, such as an iodine RF thruster, will enable new missions in remote sensing, space surveillance, communications and other areas.'
Phase Four's project received several letters of support from industry and government agencies that anticipate iodine-fueled propulsion engines will lower costs and create new opportunities for commercial and defense satellite operators.
The company is also working with other government customers to further develop the Maxwell RF thruster to increase performance for long-duration missions where significant manoeuvrability is required. Phase Four's RF thruster is simpler, smaller, lighter and less expensive than legacy electric propulsion systems, due to technical innovations and the use of low-cost RF electronics developed by the smartphone and wireless charging industries. These improvements will enable government and commercial space operators to deploy critical mission capabilities in space at a lower cost and faster cadence than currently possible.