Spinning CubeSats with Liquid Propellant

摘要

Electrolysis propulsion at the CubeSat scale provides simple, dense storage of inert propellant to create a safe and reliable means of delivering over 800 m/s ΔV within standard CubeSat specifications. Separation of liquid propellant and electrolyzed gases in microgravity can be achieved with a spinning spacecraft design, saving considerable mass in tankage and valves. Such spacecraft can take advantage of damping provided by sloshing liquid water in the propellant tank to provide passive spin stabilization for attitude control purposes. This paper builds on prior research developing this passively spin-stabilized electrolysis propulsion CubeSat architecture, providing simulations and experimental evidence that such stabilization is both feasible and advantageous. Simulations of the spinning architecture are compared with spinning drop tower tests performed on a mass model of a proposed 3U CubeSat The results increase confidence in this design, which represents synergy between the propulsion subsystem and attitude control. Future tests are considered, with the goal of refining the prototype design to inform an on-orbit demonstration of the technology.