Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2023 - 14

FEATURE ARTICLE
Hall-effect Thrusters Highlight Magnetic Technologies at SpaceTech Expo-Europe
Hall-effect thrusters from ExoTerra are among cutting-edge magnetic technologies to be showcased at SpaceTech Expo-Europe in November
Always a showcase for cutting-edge technology in aerospace progress,
SpaceTech Expo-Europe will have an assortment of magnetics-based
solutions on display when it opens in Bremen, Germany
on November 14. Advancements in propulsion using Hall-effect
thrusters for microsatellites, magnetometry and component designs
will be among the solutions exhibited. ExoTerra, Enpulsion
and Thermocoax are among the companies involved in Hall-effect
thrusters. Other exhibitors involved in magnetic technologies include
Bartington Instruments, Pfeiffer Vacuum, Stirling Cryogenics,
plus numerous others. Magnetics Magazine is a long-time media
partner of the event.
As the small-satellite market expands, so do the demands for specialized
propulsion powered by Hall-effect thrusters. Unlike chemical
propulsors traditionally used in spacecraft, Hall-effect systems
generate thrust from a magnetic field that accelerates the propellant,
usually xenon. They are less powerful than chemical propulsors
but require less fuel and propel for longer, making them ideal
for long-distance space exploration.
In June, Littleton, Colorado-based ExoTerra marked a milestone
when its Halo propulsion system successfully lit on its first attempt
and powered a DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency) spacecraft. The Halo module is an integrated electric propulsion
system designed and built by ExoTerra in Littleton, Colorado
around the company's Halo Hall-effect electric thruster, propellant
distribution components, and power processing unit. The
demonstration marks the first operation of a Halo in orbit. Additional
modules are expected to be commissioned soon in successive missions.
" Working
with BCT and DARPA on
the Blackjack program has been a
great experience, " said ExoTerra's
CEO Mike VanWoerkom. " We're all
very excited to finally have the thruster
validated in space and are looking forward
to providing propulsion for several
more flights in the coming year. "
Founded in 2011, ExoTerra designs,
manufactures, and tests electric propulsion
elements for small spacecraft,
from discrete components to integrated propulsion modules to full
spacecraft buses.
Mike VanWoerkom, CEO and
founder of ExoTerra
Another Hall-effect thruster provider on the show floor will be Enpulsion
of Austria whose nano-module approach has quickly made it a
leading player for powering small satellites, allowing integrators to
scale the modules to their specific power needs. Enpulsion nano modules
can be clustered to build scaleable, completely self-contained
propulsion systems.
14 Magnetics Business & Technology * November/December 2023
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