Testing of a Green Monopropellant Integrated Propulsion System

VACCO has application-engineered a green monopropellant Integrated Propulsion System (IPS) specifically designed for ESPA-class small satellites. The Integrated Propulsion System is a smart propulsion system with propellant storage, pressurant storage, feed system, controller, software and four flight-proven 1N non-toxic thrusters in a compact bolt-on package. This paper documents Protoflight testing of the first flight system against specified requirements.Protoflight testing of the Integrated Propulsion Systems combines both acceptance testing that screens for workmanship and Protoflight and qualification testing that verifies the design. As with conventional propulsion systems, Integrated Propulsion Systems are not hot fire tested at the system level. The Bradford ECAPS LMP-103S 1N thrusters were already space qualified with 56 thrusters on-orbit. For this application, each thruster was acceptance tested, including hot fire testing, at the thruster component level. Separately, the system will be Protoflight tested with mass simulators in place of thrusters then electrically checked after thruster integration. A structurally identical Burst Pressure Unit was also built and will be tested. Twelve thrusters have successfully passed acceptance testing and the first flight system and Burst Pressure Unit are expected to pass protoflight qualification test requirements. Integrated Propulsion System Protoflight test data was not at the time of publication. This information will be included in the presentation.