Developing of Compact Plasma Thruster Based on Flashover Discharge

Currently, miniaturization has affected all branches of science and technology. Space is no exception. Small satellites with a mass of about 1 kg appeared, for example, CubeSats. These satellites require special propulsion systems. In this paper, a pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) is described and investigated. It is the simplest type of electric space thruster that has been used for more than 50 years. Due to its simple design, it can be easily reduced to the desired size. The thrust in such propulsion systems is created by pulsed vacuum discharge on the dielectric surfaces, which acts as a propellent. A semi-bridge generator with an output voltage multiplier was used as a source of high-voltage pulses. A coaxial electrode system with an interelectrode gap of about 0.8 mm was used. The thrust values were obtained at a power consumption of 5 - 12 W.