FEEP (Field Emission Electric Propulsion) is an advanced electrostatic thruster capable of delivering very low thrust with very high accuracy and controllability. It features unmatched performance at µN thrust level, and is unique for some highly demanding applications like drag-free control of scientific spacecraft and disturbance reduction of microgravity platforms. The FEEP technology is developed at Centrospazio under ESA/ESTEC and ASI funding.

The application range of FEEP covers the 1 µN - 2 mN thrust range. Due to its high specific impulse, FEEP is best suited for very low to low thrust missions.

The thruster's main features are:

• Very high specific impulse (I_sp = 6000 - 10000 s), i.e. very low propellant consumption
• Low system mass and overall dimensions
• Ultra-fine thrust modulation capability, with high accuracy and resolution
• Absence of moving parts - no valves, no pressurized gases
• Self-contained propellant reservoir.

FEEP Thruster Assembly	30 µN Thruster Firing	1 mN FEEP Emitter

In view of operational use, FEEP is going to fly on a number of precursory missions:

• Primarily intended for verification of the FEEP thruster design and assessment of actual performance, the Electric MIcrothruster Test in Space (EMITS) will exploit an existing ESA-NASA agreement for the utilization of the Get Away Special (GAS) facility to fly a package including two thrusters of different thrust levels (30 µN and 1 mN), the thruster power and control electronics unit, a computerized experiment control and data storage unit, and a battery. The main goal of the experiment is the verification of in-orbit ion beam production, neutralization and throttling. Other goals include ion beam shape investigation and monitoring of propellant deposition on the nearby surfaces. EMITS will fly on the Space Shuttle in early 2000 as GAS Payload G-752.
  To learn more about this first flight demonstration of a FEEP system, go to the EMITS page.

• A low thrust FEEP system will fly on the ODIE microsatellite. Conceived as an international cooperative effort, ODIE (Orbiting Drag-free International Explorer) will test the key technological issues for the accomplishment of drag-free missions on a 100 kg platform. ODIE is supported by the OMEGA team.

• More ambitious, the European LIsa TEchnology demonstration satellite (ELITE) is intended as a testbench for the technologies needed for the LISA mission, including the micronewton thrusters, a ultra-sensitive accelerometer and the ultra-stable lasers. For more information on LISA, look here and here.

• FEEP Principle and Development History

• The Applications of FEEP

• Downloadable technical papers

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CENTROSPAZIO
Via A. Gherardesca, 5 - 56014 Ospedaletto, Pisa, Italy
Tel: +39 050 985097 / 985072 - Fax: +39 050 974094
E-mail: centrospazio@cpr.it

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These pages are maintained by Salvo Marcuccio.
Last modified: November 14, 1998