Modelling ion propulsion plume interactions with spacecraft in formation flight

• Main Authors: Kafafy, Raed Ismail, Cao, Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Royal Aeronautical Society 2010
• Subjects: TL500 Aeronautics
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/11900/1/modelling_ion_propulsion.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/11900/; http://aerosociety.com/News/Publications/Aero-Journal

This paper presents a simulation study of ion thruster plume effects on formation flying spacecraft. Two formation flight applications using micro-ion propulsion are considered: an L2-Halo orbit interferometer formation and a LEO micro-satellite formation. Worst case scenarios in both missions have...