RF ION THRUSTERS

Extremely compact and versatile systems for spacecraft classes from small satellites to nanosatellites.

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BIT-3 Ion Thruster Performance

Mission enabling. Featuring high performance and unprecedented efficiency at its size.

System Power: 56-80 W
Thrust: Up to 1.25 mN
Specific Impulse: Up to 2300s
Delta-V: Up to 2.5 km/s (14kg CubeSat)

Busek’s radio frequency (RF) gridded ion thrusters eliminate the use of internal cathodes, a life-limiting factor in DC ion engine designs. Busek’s RF Ion Thruster systems have been designed from the ground-up to utilize iodine propellant, but are 100% reverse-compatible with xenon and krypton propellants.

Busek is presently delivering BIT-3 systems in rapid fashion for a range of individual missions as well as smallsat constellations.

Why use RF Ion Thrusters?

In the sub-100W system range, scaling conventional EP Hall thrusters is prohibitively inefficient. The 6U CubeSat form factor is unfavorable for any pressure vessels. These systems tend to be small, power limited, and require a new type of thruster.

Enter the iodine RF Ion thruster.

  • Iodine is stored as a solid that allows for lightweight and configurable tanks (not constrained to high pressure tanks shapes).

  • System is simple to operate: iodine sublimes with minimal heat input to form iodine vapor which is then fed to the EP device.

  • Busek has shown with Hall thrusters that iodine provides almost identical performance as with xenon - possibly surpassing xenon in the presence of significant I2+heavy ions in the plume.

  • RF ion is a perfect propulsion system for deep space CubeSat missions.

For small spacecraft, RF ion engines enable incredible the same kind of incredible range that our Hall thrusters can deliver for larger spacecraft.