Quasi-Steady Magnetoplasmadynamic Thruster Performance Database

The performanceof a coaxial, gas-fed, self-e eld, quasi-steady pulsed magnetoplasmadynamicthruster (MPDT) was measured using a swinging gate thrust stand equipped with a laser interferometer and an rf proximity transducer. Careful calibration of the thrust stand and other diagnostics ensured that the measurement errors, barring the effects of e uctuations in the discharge voltage, are well below 2%. The measurements were carried out for various mass e ow rates, ranging between 0.5 and 6 g/s and for four propellant gases: argon, xenon, hydrogen, and deuterium. The data set can be interpreted to describe both the performance of steady-state high-power (multimegawatt ) MPDTs and quasi-steady pulsed MPDTs that can operate at low spacecraft bus power. The results were curve e t and compiled into a performance database that is intended as a data source for system or mission analysis as well as for the validation of analytical and numerical models of the MPDT.