Progress in Iodine Thruster Technology: Key Developments in Project BOOST
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PONTI, FABRIZIO1
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Souhair, Nabil2, 3
- Suozzi, Lorenzo
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Silvagni, Giacomo1
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Andriulli, Raoul
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Felicioni, Francesco1
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Caldarelli, Antonella1
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magarotto, mirko4
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Simone, Di Fede
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CESCON, FEDERICO
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TAN, WEI REN
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Tonon, Lorenzo5
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Herdrich, Georg6
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Skalden, Jonathan7
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mazouffre, stephane
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Marianacci, Alfredo8
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pavarin, daniele
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DE CARLO, PAOLA5
- Mantellato, Riccardo
- Milza, Fabiana
- Toson, Elena
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Parigi, Federico
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NICHELE, FABIO
- Cardi, Margherita
- Laudani, Alessio
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Kaluthantrige, Aurelio
- Wiegand, Andreas
- Pripasu, Mihai
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1.
University of Bologna
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2.
International University of Rabat
- 3. Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
- 4. Università degli Studi di Padova
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5.
University of Padua
- 6. Institut für Raumfahrtsysteme, Universität Stuttgart
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7.
University of Stuttgart
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Institut de Combustion Aérothermique Réactivité et Environnement
Description
The BOOST project (Building blOcks for iOdine Thrusters), is a research initiative funded by the European Union, aiming at advancing Small satellites capabilities by developing an iodine-compatible RF cathode, a smart propellant storage system for on-orbit refueling, and an improved fluidic subsystem. Additionally, it focuses on upgrading testing facilities and enhancing diagnostics for iodine plasma. Currently, xenon (Xe) and krypton (Kr) are the most commonly used propellants. However, they require pressurized tanks for storage, increasing the mass of the system and introducing safety issues for the launching system. The choice of iodine (I2) as propellant has the potential to remove these constraints, as it can be stored in solid state at ambient conditions, while further decreasing costs related to space access, as it is cheaper to procure than xenon.
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