Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a Water Propelled Resistojet

The recent growth of the satellite industry has yielded a significant surge in the number of satellites and of space debris present in low Earth orbit. Collision avoidance, orbital maneuvering, and de-orbiting capabilities are increasingly required on board of SmallSats and CubeSats. A propulsion system can therefore improve and prolong the operational life of a satellite. A cost-effective, green, simple, and scalable propulsion system investigated in this study is a water-based resistojet. This type of electrothermal thruster is able to work with different propellants in different phases and it consists of few elements, making it a reliable and versatile system. Liquid water is selected here as propellant with the goal of developing a f irst prototype with high total impulse within the volume available in a CubeSat. In the present study, the design, development, and experimental testing of a small water-propelled resistojet are reported. Tests are conducted in atmosphere and in a vacuum chamber for different operating conditions. The experiments show promising results in terms of temperature characterization, water vaporization, and repeatability, while improvements are possible in terms of thermal inertia and thrust measurements.