Spacecraft Propulsion

Catalog description

This course introduces concepts needed to evaluate the performance of the most commonly used electric and chemical spacecraft propulsion systems. Fundamental topics in electric propulsion include plasma generation and ion acceleration, magnetic field design, and beam neutralization. Applications include electrostatic ion and Hall thrusters. Fundamental topics in chemical propulsion include propellant thermochemistry and ideal performance. Applications include bipropellant and monopropellant chemistry, catalyst-bed, and nozzle design considerations. Discussion of each class of thruster will be supplemented with specific examples of flight hardware. Students cannot receive credit for this course if they have taken AE/ME 5111 “Spacecraft Propulsion”.