SMART-1 fires ion engine
Posted: Thu, Oct 2, 2003, 2:01 PM ET (1801 GMT)
ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft started its ion engine for the first time on Tuesday as it begins an 18-month journey to the Moon. The Solar Electric Primary Propulsion (SEPP) engine on SMART-1 started at 8:25 am EDT (1225 GMT) Tuesday and ran for one hour as a test to make sure the engine was performing properly. SMART-1 will use this engine over the next 18 months to gradually maneuver out of the geosynchronous transfer orbit its Ariane 5 booster deposited the spacecraft into and eventually put it into orbit around the Moon. SMART-1 is the first ESA spacecraft to use an ion engine and only the second spacecraft overall, after NASA's Deep Space 1 spacecraft, to use an ion engine as its primary propulsion system. Ion thrusters have been used on a number of GEO satellites as stationkeeping thrusters.
ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft started its ion engine for the first time on Tuesday as it begins an 18-month journey to the Moon. The Solar Electric Primary Propulsion (SEPP) engine on SMART-1 started at 8:25 am EDT (1225 GMT) Tuesday and ran for one hour as a test to make sure the engine was performing properly. SMART-1 will use this engine over the next 18 months to gradually maneuver out of the geosynchronous transfer orbit its Ariane 5 booster deposited the spacecraft into and eventually put it into orbit around the Moon. SMART-1 is the first ESA spacecraft to use an ion engine and only the second spacecraft overall, after NASA's Deep Space 1 spacecraft, to use an ion engine as its primary propulsion system. Ion thrusters have been used on a number of GEO satellites as stationkeeping thrusters.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Apex becomes billion-dollar company with $200 million Series D round
Posted: Sun, Sep 14 4:09 AM ET (0809 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, September 18
Russia developing Starlink rival at 'rapid pace,' space chief says
Reuters — 1:56 am ET (0556 GMT) Rocket Lab Looks To Raise $750M In Share Sale
Aviation Week — 1:53 am ET (0553 GMT) Blue Origin hires Christopher Fuller as marketing and comms head
PRWeek — 1:52 am ET (0552 GMT) Weather Causes SpaceX Team to Scrub Wednesday’s Liftoff Attempt From VSFB
Noozhawk — 1:50 am ET (0550 GMT) Update: SpaceX Launch from Vandenberg Rescheduled Due to Weather
Santa Barbara (CA) Edhat — 1:50 am ET (0550 GMT) |
