ESA set to test smallest space engine

Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 11 March 2009 07:33

Science - Space

(Solar sails - which turn this pressure into motion - are already used to help stabilise satellites orbiting the Earth. They are being considered as propulsion systems for future spacecraft, but much more development work will be required.)

While FEEP generates a very small amount of thrust (between 0.1 and 150 micronewtons, compared with the millinewton performance of previous ion engines), it is highly controllable. The thrust can be varied by as little as 0.1 micronewton, and the new thrust is achieved in less than one-fifth of a second.

(A micronewton is one-millionth of a newton, which in turn is the force required to impart an acceleration of 1 m/sec/sec to a mass of 1 kilogram.)

If FEEP works as expected, it will be used in a variety of other space missions.

Testing will take place this month at the ESA's Propulsion Laboratory. "We are overseeing the work here because we have previous knowledge of FEEP technology," said Pierre-Etienne Frigot.

A major concern is that the strong charges required could - if not successfully offset - lead to a discharge that could damage other systems.

Davide Nicolini of ESA's Scientific Projects Department points out that "FEEP remains the sole space propulsion system entirely conceived and developed in Europe."

FEEP was invented at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), and has been developed over the last seven years under ESA contract by Italian companies Alta and Galileo Avionica and Astrium-Toulouse in France and Oerlikon in Switzerland.