Neosat

Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space have awarded a contract to Aerojet Rocketdyne to develop an electronic controller for the XR-5 Hall Thruster for the Neosat mission.

Under the deal, Thales Alenia Space Belgium will be subcontracted by Aerojet Rocketdyne’s subsidiary European Space Propulsion (ESP) to develop the electronic controller.

ESP will carry out a test validation programme with the electronic controller and the XR-5 xenon flow control assembly at its facilities in Northern Ireland.

Backed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK Space Agency, Neosat mission is part of ESA’s advanced research in telecommunications systems (ARTES) programme.

"ESP will carry out a test validation programme with the electronic controller and the XR-5 xenon flow control assembly at its facilities in Northern Ireland."

The mission aims to develop and validate in orbit next-generation satellite platforms for the core satcom market.

ESP managing director Paul Sinton said: "The European satellite community has embraced the move toward increased use of electric propulsion, and ESP is highly motivated to deliver a cost-effective XR-5 solution that meets the needs of the European satellite manufacturers."

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Based in Belfast, UK, ESP provides in-space chemical and electric propulsion products. Aerojet Rocketdyne is preparing to transfer production of 5kW Hall Thruster to ESP.

The company delivered 16 flight XR-5 Hall Thrusters, 12 of which have flown on three geosynchronous Comsat missions.

XR-5 is said to be the only electric propulsion product that demonstrated electric propulsion orbit-raising of a GEO Comsat from geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) to GEO.

Aerojet Rocketdyne logged 64 orders for XR-5 Hall Thrusters, covering three GEO Comsat platforms.

Image: An artistic view of the Neosat mission. Photo: courtesy of ESA-P. Carril, 2012.