NASA Advances Integrated Non-Toxic Dual Mode Propulsion for CubeSats

Traditional spacecraft propulsion requires separate systems for rapid high-thrust maneuvers and efficient low-thrust ones, each with separate fuel tanks, increasing complexity and weight. NASA’s ASCENT Propulsion Dual Mode mission demonstrates a compact system using a single non-toxic propellant tank feeding both a high-thrust chemical engine and low-thrust electrospray thrusters, enabling mass and volume savings critical for small satellite missions.

The flight demonstration spacecraft incorporates electrospray thrusters developed by MIT, a chemical propulsion module by Plasma Processes, and spacecraft integration by Georgia Tech. This nationwide collaboration aims to validate that a unified propulsion system can safely and effectively perform diverse in-space maneuvers, potentially allowing smaller, less costly launch vehicles and greater payload capacity on future missions.