10
$\begingroup$

Coming from a question about distances between satellites in GEO, what liquid propulsion systems do a majority of GEO satellites carry to maintain their slot positions? It is easy to find information about Merlin engines, SSME, Rocketdyne F-1, etc., but smaller purpose engines are harder to find.

UPDATE

Thanks for the info about the propellents used. What about the engines?

$\endgroup$
0

3 Answers 3

7
$\begingroup$

Typically GEO satellites use either mono-prop (often hydrazine) or bi-prop (often Mono Methyl Hydrazine and Nitrogen Tetroxide) storable propellant engines for station keeping. Electric propulsion is a technology that is also used for GEO spacecraft station keeping (http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1203/19boeing702sp/).

$\endgroup$
1
$\begingroup$

Some examples of small engines:
Northrop Grumman Bipropellant thrusters:

-TR-308 Liquid Apogee Engine, which placed the NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory spacecraft into its final orbit. The Liquid Apogee Engine (LAE) is the world's highest performing apogee engine.
-TR-312 Liquid Apogee Engines (TR-312-100MN and TR-312-100YN) which have completed DVT testing for commerical geostationary comsat applications.
-TR-500 Secondary Combustion Augmented Thruster (SCAT) Bi-Modal Thruster, flight-proven on the National Reconnaissance Office's Geosynchronous Lightweight Technology Experiment (GeoLITE) program.
-TR-711 Gel Boost Engine, which powered the world's first flight of a tactical missile utilizing gelled propellants and achieved a 700:1 Thurst-to-Weight Ratio.
-LOX/LH2 and LOX/Ethanol RCS engines successfully test fired in 1000 lbf and 870 lbf configurations, respectively.
-NASA RCE contract for a 100 lbf class LOX/Methane. 

Monopropellant thrusters - several models between 1 and 86 N, using hydrazine.

Aerojet Rocketdyne:
Monopropellant thrusters, hydrazine, 1-3100 N.
Biprop thrusters, MMH/NTO or Hydrazine (N$_2$H$_4$)/NTO, 22 N-4 kN.

EADS Astrium:
bipropellant thrusters 4-200 N, MMH and N$_2$O$_4$ or mixed oxides of nitrogen (MON)
hydrazine thrusters 1-400 N
Apogee engines, MMH and N$_2$O$_4$ or mixed oxides of nitrogen (MON)
ion engines, thrust 50 $\mu$N to 200 mN

$\endgroup$
0
$\begingroup$

Try this link for a few small thruster types. Its out of date, the names of manufacturers have changed since this list but the thruster names are probably still in use. https://engineering.purdue.edu/~propulsi/propulsion/rockets/satellites.html

$\endgroup$
3
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ This is essentially a link only answer, so it might become obsolete if the link changes or becomes unavailable. Please edit to include essential information required to answer the question here. Thanks! $\endgroup$
    – TildalWave
    Commented Oct 13, 2015 at 21:52
  • $\begingroup$ TRW is now part of Northrop Grumman, most of the others ended up in Aerojet Rocketdyne. $\endgroup$
    – Hobbes
    Commented Oct 14, 2015 at 10:10
  • $\begingroup$ OK, I understand, thanks for the reminder. I think Hobbes' answer covers it quite well. $\endgroup$
    – Puffin
    Commented Oct 15, 2015 at 0:44

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.