Aerojet Rocketdyne, has successfully completed a hot-fire test of its MPS-120 CubeSat High-Impulse Adaptable Modular Propulsion System™ (CHAMPS™).
The MPS-120 is the first 3D-printed hydrazine integrated propulsion system and is designed to provide propulsion for CubeSats, enabling missions not previously available to these tiny satellites. The project was funded out of the NASA Office of Chief Technologist’s Game Changing Opportunities in Technology Development and awarded out ofNASA’sArmstrong Flight Research Center. The test was conducted in Redmond, Washington.
“Aerojet Rocketdyne continues to push the envelope with both the development and application of 3-D printed technologies, and this successful test opens a new paradigm of possibilities that is not constrained by the limits of traditional manufacturing techniques,” said Julie Van Kleeck, vice president of Space Advanced Programs at Aerojet Rocketdyne.
“The MPS-120 hot-fire test is a significant milestone in demonstrating our game-changing propulsion solution, which will make many new CubeSat missions possible,” said Christian Carpenter, MPS-120 program manager. “We look forward to identifying customers to demonstrate the technology on an inaugural space flight.”
The MPS-120 contains four miniature rocket engines and feed system components, as well as a 3D‑printed titanium piston, propellant tank and pressurant tank. The MPS-120 is designed to be compatible with both proven hydrazine propellant and emerging AF-M315E green propellant. The system is upgradable to the MPS-130™ green propellant version through a simple swap of the rocket engines. The entire system fits into a chassis about the size of a coffee cup.
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