Abstract
Nano-satellites with electric thrusters have been investigated at Osaka Institute of Technology (OIT). Then,
the Project of OIT Electric-Rocket-Engine onboard Small Space Ship (PROITERES) was started in 2007. In the
1st PROITERES, a nano-satellite with an electrothermal pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) was launched by Indian
PSLV C-21 rocket on September 9th in 2012. The main mission was to accurately measure thrust performance in
space and to change orbital altitude with the PPT. The 2nd PROITERES satellite is being developed under plan of launching in 2020-2022. The mission is a long-distance powered flight 50-100 km in altitude by high-power electrothermal PPTs. If altitude control is successful, possibility of small/nano-satellites will be widened. In order to achieve the powered flight, a long-time PPT operation is needed for the system of the 2nd PROITERES. Therefore, a new PPT system with a Multi Discharge Room (MDR), called MDR-PPT, was developed and successfully operated. The weight of the 2nd PROITERES is 47 kg; the outside size is 470 x 470 x 450 mm, and the electric power is 60 W. The 2nd PROITERES mainly consists of five systems of thruster system, structure system, attitude control system, communication system and C & DH system. All systems were developed with technologies of 1st PROITERES R&D. The design of the 2nd PROITERES STM and PFM was finished in 2017-2018. Currently, the satellite PFM is under final test.
