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In chronological order, spacecraft are listed equipped with electric space propulsion. This includes both cruise engines and/or thrusters for attitude and orbit control. It is not specified whether the given engine is the sole means of propulsion or whether other types of engine are also used on a spacecraft. The list does not claim to be comprehensive.
Chronological overview
Spacecraft name | Launch date | End of life | Thruster type | No. | Model | Propellant | Spacecraft customer | Thruster prime | Comment | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Program 661A Flight A | 18 Dec 1962 | 18 Dec 1962 | Ion engine | 1 | Cesium | USAF | EOS (Electro-Optical Systems, Inc.) | Suborbital, no operation of on-board ion engine | |||
Kosmos 21 | 11 Nov 1963 | 11 Nov 1963 | Pulsed plasma thruster | PTFE | Kurchatov Institute/OKB-1 | Launch failure | |||||
Zond 1 | 2 Apr 1964 | 14 May 1964 | Pulsed plasma thruster | PTFE | Kurchatov Institute/OKB-1 | The experimental ion thruster-based attitude control system were tested but found to operate erratically, possibly due to the loss of pressure in the electronics compartment. | |||||
SERT 1 | 20 Jul 1964 | 20 Jul 1964 | Ion engine | 1 1 |
Mercury Cesium |
NASA | NASA Hughes |
Space Electric Rocket Test, suborbital (31 min), the first demonstration of an ion engine in space - only the mercury engine by NASA was operated | |||
Program 661A Flight B | 29 Aug 1964 | 29 Aug 1964 | Ion engine | 1 | Cesium | USAF | EOS | Suborbital, experimental test (19 min operation) | |||
Zond 2 | 30 Nov 1964 | 14 May 1965 | Pulsed plasma thruster | PTFE | Kurchatov Institute/OKB-1 | Is widely regarded as the first application of electric propulsion systems in space (70 min of PPT operation) | |||||
Program 661A Flight C | 21 Dec 1964 | 21 Dec 1964 | Ion engine | 1 | Cesium | USAF | EOS | Suborbital, experimental test (4 min operation) | |||
Snapshot | 3 Apr 1965 | Ion engine | 1 | Cesium | USAF/Army | EOS | Experimental 1 hour operation, SNAP-10A nuclear reactor | ||||
Zond 3 | 18 Jul 1965 | Pulsed plasma thruster | PTFE | Operation of thruster failed | |||||||
Yantar-1 | 13 Oct 1966 | 13 Oct 1966 | Ion engine | Argon | Ballistic flight | ||||||
Yantar-2 | 1968 | 1968 | Ion engine | Nitrogen | Ballistic flight | ||||||
ATS-4 | 10 Aug 1968 | Ion engine | 2 | Cesium | USAF/NASA | EOS | Experimental 10 hours operation, Satellite Technology Applications | ||||
LES-6 | 26 Sep 1968 | Pulsed plasma thruster | 4 | PTFE | USAF | MIT Lincoln Lab. | Lincoln Experimental Satellite | ||||
Yantar-3 | 1969 | 1969 | Ion engine | Air | Ballistic flight | ||||||
ATS-5 | 12 Aug 1969 | Ion engine | 2 | Cesium | USAF/NASA | EOS | Experimental | ||||
SERT 2 | 3 Feb 1970 | Ion engine | 2 | Mercury | NASA | NASA/Westinghouse | (Experimental), worked until 1981 (3781 hours) | ||||
Yantar-4 | 1971 | 1971 | Ion engine | Air | Ballistic flight | ||||||
Meteor 1-10 | 29 Dec 1971 | Hall effect thruster | 2 | SPT-60 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | Orbit control | ||||
L-4SC-3 | 20 Aug 1974 | 20 Aug 1974 | Pulsed plasma thruster | PTFE | ISAS | Experimental, ballistic launch. Launch failure. | |||||
ATS-6 | 30 May 1974 | Ion engine | 2 | Cesium | NASA | EOS | Experimental 92 hours operation | ||||
Meteor-Priroda 1 (Meteor 1-18) | 9 Jul 1974 | Hall effect thruster | 2 | SPT-60 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | Orbit control | ||||
Kren-1 (Kosmos-728) | 18 Apr 1975 | 18 Apr 1975 | Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster | Potassium | NIITP | Ballistic flight | |||||
TIP-2 | 12 Oct 1975 | Pulsed plasma thruster | 2 | TSPPS | PTFE | US Navy | Republic Aviation | Transit Improvement Program (Triad / NOVA), Teflon Solid Propellant Propulsion System | |||
Kren-2 (Kosmos-780) | 21 Nov 1975 | 21 Nov 1975 | Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster | Potassium | NIITP | Ballistic flight | |||||
Meteor-Priroda 2-1 (Meteor 1-25) | 15 May 1976 | Hall effect thruster | 2 | SPT-60 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | Orbit control | ||||
TIP-3 | 1 Sep 1976 | Pulsed plasma thruster | 2 | TSPPS | PTFE | US Navy | Republic Aviation | Transit Improvement Program (Triad/NOVA), Teflon Solid Propellant Propulsion System | |||
Meteor-Priroda 2-2 (Meteor 1-28) | 29 Jun 1977 | Hall effect thruster | 2 | SPT-50 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | Orbit control | ||||
Kust-1 | 7 Dec 1977 | 7 Dec 1977 | Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster | Air | Ballistic flight, Russian acronym of Kubarev, thruster, jet | ||||||
Kust-2 | 30 Nov 1978 | 30 Nov 1978 | Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster | Air | Ballistic flight | ||||||
Astrofizika (Kosmos 1066) | 23 Dec 1978 | Hall effect thruster | 2 | SPT-50 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | Orbit control | ||||
Kust-3 | 21 Jan 1979 | 21 Jan 1979 | Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster | Air | Ballistic flight | ||||||
SCATHA (P78-2) | 30 Jan 1979 | Ion source | 1 | Xenon | USAF/NASA | Hughes | Satellite Positive Ion Beam System (SPIBS), No engine in the strict sense | ||||
Intelsat-5 F-2 | 6 Dec 1980 | Resistojet | Hydrazine | ITSO/Inmarsat | Communications satellite, and 1984, eight satellites | ||||||
MS-T4 (Tansei 4) | 17 Feb 1980 | 13 May 1983 | Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster | Ammonia | ISAS | Experimental, thruster for spin-up | |||||
ETS-4 (Kiku 3) | 11 Feb 1981 | 24 Dec 1984 | Pulsed plasma thruster | PTFE | NASDA | AIST | Engineering Test Satellite (experimental) | ||||
Nova-1 | 14 May 1981 | Pulsed plasma thruster | TSPPS | PTFE | US Navy | Transit Improvement Program (Triad/NOVA), Teflon Solid Propellant Propulsion System | |||||
Meteor-Priroda 2-4 (Meteor 1-31) | 10 Jul 1981 | Hall effect thruster | 2 | SPT-50 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | Orbit control | ||||
MDT-2A | 7 Dec 1981 | 7 Dec 1981 | Pulsed plasma thruster | PTFE | SSTC Academia Sinica | Ballistic Missile | |||||
Potok 1/Geizer 1 (Kosmos 1366) | 17 May 1982 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
ETS-3 (Kiku 4) | 3 Sep 1982 | 8 Mar 1985 | Ion engine | 2 | Mercury | NASDA | MELCO | Engineering Test Satellite (experimental) | |||
Potok 2/Geizer 2 (Kosmos 1540) | 2 Mar 1984 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
Nova-3 | 12 Oct 1984 | Pulsed plasma thruster | TSPPS | PTFE | US Navy | Transit Improvement Program (Triad/NOVA), Teflon Solid Propellant Propulsion System | |||||
Luch #1 (Kosmos 1700) | 25 Oct 1985 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
Potok 3/Geizer 3 (Kosmos 1738) | 4 Apr 1986 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
Plazma-A #1 (Kosmos 1818) | 1 Feb 1987 | Hall effect thruster | 6 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | Orbit control, Topaz-1 nuclear reactor | ||||
Plazma-A #2 (Kosmos 1867) | 10 Jul 1987 | Hall effect thruster | 6 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | Orbit control, Topaz-1 nuclear reactor | ||||
Start-1 | 7 Aug 1987 | Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster | AMPDT | Air | Autonomous MPD Thruster | ||||||
Start-2 | 9 Sep 1987 | Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster | AMPDT | Argon | Autonomous MPD Thruster | ||||||
Potok 4/Geizer 5 (Kosmos 1888) | 1 Oct 1987 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
Luch #2 (Kosmos 1897) | 26 Nov 1987 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
Nova-2 | 16 Jun 1988 | Pulsed plasma thruster | TSPPS | PTFE | US Navy | Transit Improvement Program (Triad/NOVA), Teflon Solid Propellant Propulsion System | |||||
Potok 5/Geizer 6 (Kosmos 1961) | 1 Aug 1988 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
Luch #3 (Kosmos 2054) | 27 Dec 1989 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
Potok 6/Geizer 7 (Kosmos 2085) | 18 Jul 1990 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
Potok 7/Geizer 8 (Kosmos 2172) | 22 Nov 1991 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
EURECA | 2 Aug 1992 | 1 Jul 1993 | Ion engine | RIT-10 (RITA) | Xenon | ESA | MBB | 240 hours operation | |||
Telstar 401 | 16 Dec 1993 | 11 Jan 1997 | Arcjet | MR-508 | Hydrazine | AT&T | Rocket Research Co. | Communication satellite (Lockheed Martin AS-7000) | |||
Gals-1 | 20 Jan 1994 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-100 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | Communication Satellite | ||||
ETS-6 (Kiku 6) | 28 Aug 1994 | 9 Jul 1996 | Ion engine | XIES | Xenon | NASDA | Mitsubishi Electric | Experimental, Xenon Ion Engine System | |||
Telstar 402 | 9 Sep 1994 | 9 Sep 1994 | Arcjet | MR-508 | Hydrazine | AT&T | Rocket Research Co. | Communication satellite (Lockheed Martin AS-7000), exploded shortly after launch | |||
Potok 8/Geizer 9 (Kosmos 2291) | 21 Sep 1994 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
Ekspress 1 | 13 Oct 1994 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-100 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
Luch 4 | 16 Dec 1994 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
Space Flyer Unit (SFU) | 18 Mar 1995 | 13 Jan 1996 | Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster | 1 | EPEX | Hydrazine | ISAS/NASDA | ISAS | Electric Propulsion Experiment, 43395 pulses of operation | ||
Potok 9/Geizer 10 (Kosmos 2319) | 30 Aug 1995 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
Telstar 402R (Telstar 4) | 24 Sep 1995 | Sep 2003 | Arcjet | MR-508 | Hydrazine | AT&T | Rocket Research Co. | Communication satellite (Lockheed Martin AS-7000) | |||
Luch2-1 | 11 Oct 1995 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
Gals-2 | 17 Nov 1995 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-100 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | Communication Satellite | ||||
Ekspress 2 | 26 Sep 1996 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-100 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
A2100 | 1997 | Arcjet | MR-510 | Lockheed/Aerojet | Communication Satellite | ||||||
PAS 5 (now: Intelsat 5) | 28 Aug 1997 | Ion engine | XIPS | Xenon | PanAmSat | Hughes-EDD | Satellite bus based on HS-601HP (first commercial satellite with XIPS) | ||||
Kupon-1 | 12 Nov 1997 | Mar 1998 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | Bank of Russia | OKB Fakel | Communication Satellite | ||
Galaxy 8i | 8 Dec 1997 | 2004 | Ion engine | XIPS | Xenon | PanAmSat | Hughes-EDD | Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP | |||
Astra 2A | 30 Aug 1998 | Ion engine | XIPS | Xenon | SES | Hughes-EDD | Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP | ||||
STEX (NROL-8) | 3 Oct 1998 | Hall effect thruster | TAL-D55 | Xenon | NRO | TsNIIMash | EPDM (Electric Propulsion Demonstration Module) | ||||
Deep Space 1 | 24 Oct 1998 | 2001 | Ion engine | 1 | NSTAR | Xenon | NASA | NASA | |||
Satmex 5 (now: Eutelsat 115 West A) | 5 Dec 1998 | Ion engine | XIPS | Xenon | Satmex | Hughes-EDD | Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP; propulsion failed on 27 Jan 2010 | ||||
PAS 6B (now: Intelsat 6B) | 21 Dec 1998 | Ion engine | XIPS | Xenon | PanAmSat | Hughes-EDD | Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP | ||||
ARGOS (P91-1) | 23 Feb 1999 | 31 Jul 2003 | Arcjet | ESEX | Ammonia | USAF | Rocket Research Co. | Experimental military satellite, Electric Propulsion Space Experiment | |||
Orion 3 | 5 May 1999 | Ion engine | XIPS | Xenon | Orion Network Systems | Hughes-EDD | Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP; injected into wrong orbit | ||||
Astra 1H | 18 Jun 1999 | Ion engine | XIPS | Xenon | SES | Hughes-EDD | Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP | ||||
Yamal 101 | 6 Sep 1999 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-70 | Xenon | Gazcom | OKB Fakel | Communications satellite | |||
Yamal 102 | 6 Sep 1999 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-70 | Xenon | Gazcom | OKB Fakel | Communications satellite | |||
DirecTV 1R | 10 Oct 1999 | Ion engine | 4 | XIPS | Xenon | DirecTV | Hughes-EDD | Communications satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP | |||
Ekspress-A 1 | 27 Oct 1999 | 27 Oct 1999 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-100 | Xenon | RSCC | OKB Fakel | Communication satellite, satellite lost during launch | ||
Galaxy 10R | 25 Jan 2000 | 2009 | Ion engine | XIPS | Xenon | PanAmSat | Hughes-EDD | Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP; reduced mission time due to malfunction in XIPS | |||
Ekspress-A 2 | 12 Mar 2000 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-100 | Xenon | RSCC | OKB Fakel | Communication satellite | |||
SESAT 1 (now: Eutelsat 16C) | 17 Apr 2000 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-100 | Xenon | Eutelsat | OKB Fakel | Communications satellite, Ekspress satellite bus by NPO PM | |||
Galaxy 4R | 19 Apr 2000 | 2006 | Ion engine | XIPS | Xenon | PanAmSat | Hughes-EDD | Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP; XIPS failed by 2003 | |||
Ekspress-A 3 | 24 Jun 2000 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-100 | Xenon | RSCC | OKB Fakel | Communication satellite | |||
Potok 10/Geizer 12 (Kosmos 2371) | 4 Jul 2000 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-70 | Xenon | OKB Fakel | |||||
MightySat II.1 | 19 Jul 2000 | 12 Nov 2002 | Pulsed plasma thruster | PTFE | AFRL | USAF/NASA/Olin Aerospace Co. | Experimental satellite | ||||
PAS 9 (now: Intelsat 9) | 28 Jul 2000 | Ion engine | XIPS | Xenon | PanAmSat | Hughes-EDD | Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP | ||||
AMSAT-Phase 3-D (OSCAR-40) | 16 Nov 2000 | 2004 | Arcjet | ATOS | Ammonia | AMSAT | University of Stuttgart, IRS | Arcjet Thruster on OSCAR Satellite, operated in cold gas mode | |||
EO-1 | 21 Nov 2000 | 30 Mar 2017 | Pulsed plasma thruster | PTFE | NASA | Primex Aerospace | Earth Observing-1, technology demonstrator | ||||
PAS 10 (now: Intelsat 10) | 15 May 2001 | Ion engine | XIPS | Xenon | PanAmSat | Boeing-EDD | Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP | ||||
Astra 2C | 16 Jun 2001 | Ion engine | XIPS | Xenon | SES | Boeing-EDD | Satellite bus based on Hughes 601HP | ||||
Artemis | 12 Jul 2001 | Nov 2017 | Ion engine | 4 | RIT-10 (RITA) and UK-10(T5) | Xenon | ESA | Astrium | Advanced Relay Technology Mission ESA Artemis satellite using 4 ion engines (2 RIT and 2 UK-10) has paved the way for the use of electric propulsion in telecommunication spacecraft. | ||
DirecTV 4S | 27 Nov 2001 | Ion engine | 4 | XIPS | Xenon | DirecTV | Boeing-EDD | Satellite bus based on Boeing BSS-601HP | |||
Ekspress-A 1R (Ekspress-A 4) | 10 Jun 2002 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-100(?), KM-5 | Xenon | RSCC | OKB Fakel(?), Keldysh | Communication satellite | |||
AsiaSat 4 | 11 Apr 2003 | Ion engine | 4 | XIPS | Xenon | AsiaSat | Boeing-EDD | Satellite bus based on Boeing BSS-601HP | |||
Hayabusa | 9 May 2003 | 13 Jun 2010 | Ion engine | 4 | μ10 | Xenon | JAXA | JAXA/ISAS | |||
SMART-1 | 28 Sep 2003 | 3 Sep 2006 | Hall effect thruster | 1 | PPS-1350 | Xenon | ESA | Snecma | Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology | ||
Galaxy 13 / Horizons 1 | 1 Oct 2003 | Ion engine | XIPS | Xenon | PanAmSat/JSAT | Boeing-EDD | Satellite bus based on Boeing BSS-601HP | ||||
Yamal 201 | 24 Nov 2003 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-70 | Xenon | Gazcom | OKB Fakel | ||||
Yamal 202 | 24 Nov 2003 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-70 | Xenon | Gazcom | OKB Fakel | ||||
Ekspress-AM 1 | 29 Oct 2004 | 10 Aug 2013 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-100 | Xenon | RSCC | OKB Fakel | |||
AMC 12 (Astra 4A / Star One C12 / now: NSS 10) | 3 Feb 2005 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-100 | Xenon | SES Americom | OKB Fakel | Communications satellite based on Alcatel Alenia Spacebus-4000C3 | |||
Ekspress-AM 2 | 29 Mar 2005 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-100 | Xenon | RSCC | OKB Fakel | ||||
Monitor-E | 26 Aug 2005 | Hall effect thruster | SPT-100 | Xenon | Roskosmos | OKB Fakel | Earth observation satellite based on Khrunichev Yachta bus | ||||
MBSat 1 (ABS 2i / now: ABS 4 (Mobisat)) | 13 Mar 2004 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-100 | Xenon | |
MBCO Sold to: ABS |
OKB Fakel | Satellite based on Space Systems/Loral SSL-1300 | ||
Ekspress-AM 3 | 29 Oct 2004 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-100 | Xenon | RSCC | OKB Fakel | ||||
AMC 23 | 29 Dec 2005 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-100 | Xenon | SES Americom | OKB Fakel | Communications satellite based on Alcatel Alenia Spacebus-4000C3 | |||
KazSat-1 | 18 Jun 2005 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-70 | Xenon | JSC KazSat | OKB Fakel | Communications satellite based on Khrunichev Yachta bus | |||
ION | 26 Jul 2006 | 26 Jul 2006 | Vacuum arc thruster | 4 | μVAT | Tungsten | UIUC | UIUC | Satellite lost during injection phase | ||
MEASAT-3 | 11 Dec 2006 | Ion engine | 4 | XIPS | Xenon | MEASAT | L-3 ETI | Satellite bus based on Boeing BSS-601HP | |||
TacSat-2 | 16 Dec 2006 | 5 Feb 2011 | Hall effect thruster | 1 | BHT-200 | Xenon | USAF | Busek | Microsatellite Propulsion Integration (MPI) Experiment, military applications | ||
ETS-8 (Kiku 8) | 18 Dec 2006 | Ion engine | 4 | XIES | Xenon | JAXA | Mitsubishi Electric | ||||
FalconSat-3 | 9 Mar 2007 | Pulsed plasma thruster | 4 | MPACS | PTFE | USAFA | Busek | Experimental Satellite, Micro-Propulsion Attitude Control System | |||
Dawn | 27 Sep 2007 | Ion engine | 3 | NSTAR | Xenon | NASA | NASA | ||||
Telstar 11N | 26 Feb 2009 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-100 | Xenon | Loral Skynet | OKB Fakel | Satellite based on Space Systems/Loral SSL-1300 | |||
GOCE | 17 Mar 2009 | 11 Nov 2013 | Ion engine | 2 | T5 | Xenon | ESA | QinetiQ | |||
Sirius FM5 (Radiosat 5) | 30 Jun 2009 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-100 | Xenon | Sirius Satellite Radio | OKB Fakel | Satellite based on Space Systems/Loral SSL-1300 | |||
STSAT-2A | 25 Aug 2009 | 25 Aug 2009 | Pulsed plasma thruster | KARI | KAIST/SaTReC | Satellite lost during injection phase | |||||
NSS-12 | 29 Oct 2009 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-100 | Xenon | SES New Skies | OKB Fakel | Satellite based on Space Systems/Loral SSL-1300 | |||
GSAT-4 (Healthsat) | 15 Apr 2010 | 15 Apr 2010 | Hall effect thruster | 2 2 |
KM-45 (Unnamed) |
Xenon | ISRO | Keldysh ISRO |
Launcher failed to reach orbit | ||
STSAT-2B | 10 Jun 2010 | 10 Jun 2010 | Pulsed plasma thruster | KARI | KAIST/SaTReC | Satellite lost during injection phase | |||||
AEHF-SV-1 (USA-214) | 14 Aug 2010 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | BPT-4000 (XR-5) | Xenon | USAF | Aerojet | Satellite based on Lockheed Martin A2100; mission saved by Hall thruster | |||
FalconSat-5 (USA-221) | 20 Nov 2010 | Hall effect thruster | BHT-200 | Xenon | USAF | Busek | Experimental Satellite | ||||
KazSat-2 | 16 Jul 2011 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-70 | Xenon | JSC KazSat | OKB Fakel | Communications satellite based on Khrunichev Yachta bus | |||
Fobos-Grunt | 9 Nov 2011 | 15 Jan 2012 | Hall effect thruster | 3 | SPT-140 | Xenon | Roskosmos | OKB Fakel | Failed to reach intended trajectory | ||
SES-4 | 14 Feb 2012 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-100 | Xenon | SES World Skies | OKB Fakel | ||||
AEHF-SV-2 (USA-235) | 4 May 2012 | Hall effect thruster | BPT-4000 (XR-5) | Xenon | USAF | Aerojet | Satellite based on Lockheed Martin A2100 | ||||
SES-5 | 9 Jul 2012 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-100 | Xenon | SES World Skies | OKB Fakel | ||||
Kanopus-V | 22 Jul 2012 | Hall effect thruster | 2 | SPT-50 | Xenon | Roskosmos | OKB Fakel | Earth observation satellite | |||
TET-1 | 22 Jul 2012 | Resistojet | 1 | Aquajet | Water | DLR | Aerospace Innovation | Experimental | |||
PROITERES | 9 Sep 2012 | Pulsed plasma thruster | 4 | PTFE | OIT | OIT | Academic satellite, communication loss before propulsion test | ||||
Shijian-9A (SJ-9A) | 14 Oct 2012 | Hall effect thruster Ion engine |
HET-40 LIPS-200 |
Xenon | COSTIND | SISP LIP |
Experimental satellite based on CAST-2000 | ||||
Yamal 402 | 8 Dec 2012 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-100 | Xenon | Gazcom | OKB Fakel | Satellite based on Spacebus-4000C3, satellite failed to reach intended orbit | |||
STRaND-1 | 25 Feb 2013 | Pulsed plasma thruster | SSTL | SSTL | 3U Cubesat propulsion demonstration | ||||||
Alphasat (Inmarsat-4A F4) | 25 Jul 2013 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | PPS-1350 | Xenon | Inmarsat/ESA | Snecma | Operational | |||
AEHF-SV-3 (USA-246) | 18 Sep 2013 | Hall effect thruster | BPT-4000 (XR-5) | Xenon | USAF | Aerojet | Satellite based on Lockheed Martin A2100 | ||||
CUSat | 29 Sep 2013 | 16 Oct 2013 | Pulsed plasma thruster | PTFE | Cornell University | Cornell University University of Washington |
Technology demonstration | ||||
STSAT-3 | 21 Nov 2013 | Dec 2015 | Hall effect thruster | 1 | Xenon | KARI | KAIST/SaTReC | ||||
DubaiSat-2 | 21 Nov 2013 | Hall effect thruster | 1 | Xenon | MBRSC | Satrec Initiative JAXA (Neutralizer) |
Satellite bus based on Satrec Initiative SI-300 | ||||
Wren | 21 Nov 2013 | Pulsed plasma thruster | 4 | StaDoKo | StaDoKo | 1U PocketQub propulsion | |||||
Ekspress-AM5 | 26 Dec 2013 | Hall effect thruster | SPT-100 | Xenon | RSCC | OKB Fakel | EP system used to insert the satellite into GEO. Unclear if EP is also used for station keeping. | ||||
KazSat-3 | 28 Apr 2014 | Hall effect thruster | SPT-100 | Xenon | JSC KazSat | OKB Fakel | Communications satellite based on Ekspress 1000 NTA bus | ||||
Deimos-2 | 19 Jun 2014 | Hall effect thruster | HEPS | Xenon | Deimos Imaging | Satrec Initiative | Satellite bus based on Satrec Initiative SI-300 | ||||
Hodoyoshi 4 | 19 Jun 2014 | Ion engine | 1 | MIPS | Xenon | University of Tokyo/NESTRA | University of Tokyo | ||||
MKA-FKI PN2 (Vernov) | 8 Jul 2014 | Dec 2014 | Pulsed plasma thruster | APPT-45-2 | PTFE | Russian Academy of Sciences | RIAME | Satellite based on bus Karat; communication loss before thruster operation | |||
Ekspress-AM6 (Eutelsat 53A) | 21 Oct 2014 | Hall effect thruster | SPT-100 | Xenon | RSCC | OKB Fakel | EP system used to insert the satellite into GEO. Unclear if EP is also used for station keeping. | ||||
Hayabusa2 | 3 Dec 2014 | Ion engine | 4 | Xenon | JAXA | JAXA/ISAS | |||||
PROCYON | 3 Dec 2014 | Ion engine | 1 | I-COUPS | Xenon | JAXA/University of Tokyo | University of Tokyo | PRoximate Object Close flYby with Optical Navigation, experimental >200 h operation | |||
Yamal 401 | 15 Dec 2014 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-100 | Xenon | Gazcom | OKB Fakel | Satellite based on bus Ekspress-2000A | |||
ABS-3A | 2 Mar 2015 | Ion engine | 4 | XIPS-25 | Xenon | ABS | L-3 ETI | First Boeing 702SP all-electric satellites | |||
Satmex 7 (now: Eutelsat 115 West B) | 2 Mar 2015 | Ion engine | 4 | XIPS-25 | Xenon | Satmex | L-3 ETI | First Boeing 702SP all-electric satellites | |||
BRICsat-P | 20 May 2015 | Vacuum arc thruster | 4 | μCAT | USNA | GW University | Detumbling, spin and a delta-V for a 1.5U cubesat in 500km orbit | ||||
AeroCube 8A | 20 May 2015 | Electrospray Thruster | 1 | SiEPro | Ionic liquid | The Aerospace Corporation | MIT | 1.5 U cubesat | |||
AeroCube 8B | 20 May 2015 | Electrospray Thruster | 1 | SiEPro | Ionic liquid | The Aerospace Corporation | MIT | 1.5 U cubesat | |||
KaiTuo-1A (XinJiShu YanZheng-2) | 19 Sep 2015 | Hall effect thruster | 1 1 |
LHT-100 (Unnamed) |
Xenon | LIP BICE |
Experimental Satellite | ||||
Lisa Pathfinder | 3 Dec 2015 | Electrospray Thruster | 8 | CMNT | Ionic Liquid Propellant | ESA | Busek | Very precise attitude control | |||
Horyu-4 (AEGIS) | 18 Feb 2016 | Vacuum arc thruster | KIT | KIT | |||||||
SES-9 | 4 Mar 2016 | Ion engine | 4 | XIPS-25 | Xenon | SES | L-3 ETI | ||||
ABS-2A | 15 Jun 2016 | Ion engine | 4 | XIPS-25 | Xenon | ABS | L-3 ETI | Satellite based on all-electric bus Boeing 702SP | |||
Satmex 9 (now: Eutelsat 117 West B) | 15 Jun 2016 | Ion engine | 4 | XIPS-25 | Xenon | Satmex | L-3 ETI | Satellite based on all-electric bus Boeing 702SP | |||
Shijian-17 (SJ-17) | 3 Nov 2016 | Hall effect thruster | LHT-100 | Xenon | CAST | LIP | |||||
AeroCube 8C | 11 Nov 2016 | Electrospray Thruster | 1 | SiEPro | Ionic liquid | The Aerospace Corporation | MIT | 1.5 U cubesat | |||
AeroCube 8D | 11 Nov 2016 | Electrospray Thruster | 1 | SiEPro | Ionic liquid | The Aerospace Corporation | MIT | 1.5 U cubesat | |||
AOBA-VELOX III | 9 Dec 2016 | Pulsed plasma thruster | 1 | PTFE | |
NTU KIT |
NTU | 2U-Cubesat propulsion, satellite piggyback on HTV-6, deployed from ISS on 16 Jan 2017 | |||
Hispasat 36W-1 (SmallGEO) | 27 Jan 2017 | Hall effect thruster | 8 | SPT-100 | Xenon | Hispasat | OKB Fakel | Satellite based on OHB Luxor bus | |||
SES-10 | 30 Mar 2017 | Hall effect thruster | SPT-100 | Xenon | SES | OKB Fakel | |||||
Shijian-13 (SJ-13) | 12 Apr 2017 | Ion engine | 4 | LIPS-200 | Xenon | CAST & ChinaSatcom | LIP | Satellite based on DongFangHong-3B satellite bus | |||
GSAT-9 (South Asian Satellite) | 5 May 2017 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | KM-45 | Xenon | ISRO | Keldysh | Station-keeping of satellite, including orbit changes | |||
SES-15 | 18 May 2017 | Ion engine | 4 | XIPS-25 | Xenon | SES World Skies | L-3 ETI | Satellite based on all-electric bus Boeing 702SP | |||
Eutelsat 172B | 1 Jun 2017 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-140 | Xenon | Eutelsat | OKB Fakel | Satellite based on all-electric bus Eurostar-3000EOR | |||
PEGASUS | 23 Jun 2017 | Pulsed plasma thruster | 4 | PTFE | FH Wiener Neustadt | FH Wiener Neustadt | Cubesat propulsion; part of QB50 | ||||
Shijian-18 | 2 Jul 2017 | 2 Jul 2017 | Ion engine | LIPS-300 | Xenon | LIP | Launcher failed to reach orbit | ||||
VENμS | 2 Aug 2017 | Hall effect thruster | 2 | IHET-300 | Xenon | |
ISA CNES |
Rafael | Station-keeping, fine attitude control and orbit change | ||
AsiaSat-9 | 28 Sep 2017 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-100 | Xenon | AsiaSat | OKB Fakel | Satellite based on Space Systems Loral SSL-1300 bus | |||
SLATS (Tsubame) | 23 Dec 2017 | 2 Oct 2019 | Ion engine | 1 | XIES | Xenon | |||||
Flock-3p' | 12 Jan 2018 | FEEP | 1 | IFM Nano | Indium | Planet Labs | Enpulsion | First successful IOD of a FEEP thruster on a 3U Cubesat | |||
SES-14 | 25 Jan 2018 | Hall effect thruster | SPT-140 | Xenon | SES | OKB Fakel | Satellite based on all-electric bus Eurostar Neo | ||||
SES-12 | 4 Jun 2018 | Hall effect thruster | SPT-140 | Xenon | SES | OKB Fakel | Satellite based on all-electric bus Eurostar Neo | ||||
NovaSAR | 16 Sep 2018 | Resistojet Quad confinement thruster |
1 1 |
QCT-200 |
Xenon | SSTL/ADS UK | SSTL SSC/SSTL |
Satellite based on SSTL-300 bus | |||
BepiColombo | 20 Oct 2018 | Ion engine | 4 | T6 | Xenon | ESA & JAXA | QinetiQ | Solar Electric Propulsion System (SEPS) | |||
(undisclosed) | 2018 | FEEP | 4 | IFM Nano | Indium | Enpulsion | |||||
(undisclosed) | 2018 | FEEP | 1 | IFM Nano | Indium | Enpulsion | |||||
FalconSat-6 | 3 Dec 2018 | Hall effect thruster | BHT-200 | Xenon | USAF | Busek | Experimental Satellite | ||||
UWE-4 | 27 Dec 2018 | FEEP | 4 | NanoFEEP | Gallium | Universität Würzburg | Morpheus Space | First IOD of orbit control on a picosatellite using electric propulsion | |||
AOBA-VELOX-IV | 18 Jan 2019 | Pulsed plasma thruster | 4 | PTFE | |
NTU KIT |
NTU | ||||
Xiaoxiang-1 03 | 21 Jan 2019 | Electrospray thruster | Spacety Aerospace Corp. | 206th Institute | |||||||
(undisclosed) | 2019 | FEEP | 4 | IFM Nano | Indium | Enpulsion | |||||
PSN-6 (Nusantara Satu) | 22 Feb 2019 | Xenon | PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara | SSL | |||||||
(undisclosed) | 2019 | FEEP | 7 | IFM Nano | Indium | Enpulsion | |||||
Starlink L0 | 23 May 2019 | Hall effect thruster | 60 | Krypton | SpaceX | SpaceX | First operational Starlink satellite design | ||||
Yamal 601 | 30 May 2019 | Hall effect thruster | 4 | SPT-100 | Xenon | Gazprom | OKB Fakel | Satellite based on bus Ekspress-2000A | |||
(undisclosed) | 2019 | FEEP | 4 | IFM Nano | Indium | Enpulsion | |||||
(undisclosed) | 2019 | FEEP | 4 | IFM Nano | Indium | Enpulsion | |||||
Starlink Launch 1-28 (V1) | 11 Nov 2019-26 May 2021 | Hall effect thruster | Krypton | SpaceX | SpaceX | All Starlink v1 satellite launches -a more detailed list is available here | |||||
JCSAT-18/Kacific-1 | 17 Dec 2019 | Ion engine | 4 | XIPS | Xenon | SKY Perfect JSAT / Kacific | Boeing-EDD | Boeing 702 | |||
Shijian-20(SJ-20) | 27 Dec 2019 | Ion engine | LIPS-300 | Xenon | CAST | LIP | Back-up of Shijian-18 based on DFH-5 Bus | ||||
Eutelsat KONNECT | 17 Jan 2020 | Spacebus Neo Xenon Propulsion System (XPS) | Xenon | ||||||||
APStar 6D | 9 July 2020 | Ion engine | LIPS-300 | Xenon | LIP | DFH-5 bus | |||||
SES-17 | 24 Oct 2021 | Hall effect thruster | Xenon | SES | Snecma (TBC) | all-electric Spacebus Neo | |||||
Double Asteroid Redirection Test | 24 Nov 2021 | 26 Sep 2022 | Next-C Ion Engine | Xenon | NASA | Aerojet Rocketdyne | |||||
Hotbird 13F | 15 Oct 2022 | Hall effect thruster | PPS5000 (TBC) | Xenon | Eutelsat | Snecma (TBC) | all-electric bus Eurostar Neo | ||||
Hotbird 13G | 3 Nov 2022 | Hall effect thruster | PPS5000 (TBC) | Xenon | Eutelsat | Snecma (TBC) | all-electric bus Eurostar Neo | ||||
MicroHETSat | 1 Dec 2023 | Hall Effect Thruster | Sitael HT100 | Xenon | ESA | Sitael | IOD for HT100 | ||||
Ionozond (Ionosfera M 1, 2) | 4 Nov 2024 | Pulsed plasma thruster | APPT-95 | PTFE | Roskosmos | RIAME | AOCS |
Planned missions
Spacecraft name | Launch date | Thruster type | Model | Propellant | Spacecraft customer | Thruster prime | Comment | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GSAT-20 | 2024 | Hall effect thruster | Xenon | ISRO | ISRO | ||||
ASTER | 2025 | Hall effect thruster | PMHT | Xenon | AEB | UnB | MetNet bus | ||
ETS-9 | 2025 | Hall effect thruster | Xenon | JAXA | IHI Aerospace | ||||
NASA Gateway | 2025 | Hall effect thruster | Xenon | NASA | L3-Aerojet Rocketdyne/Busek | ||||
AQUIS | 2025 | Vacuum Arc Jet | Tungsten | Space Team Aachen | Space Team Aachen | FEEP in development as upgrade | |||
Soyuz-Sat-O | ? | Pulsed plasma thruster | APPT-155 | PTFE | |
RIAME |
See also
References
- "Present and Future of Space Electric Propulsion in Europe" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-10-09.
- "paper From RNII to Keldysh Research Center on page 56 of the magazine Земля и Вселенная #5 2013" (PDF). Retrieved 2020-05-06.
- "IAC Archive — IAC-07/C4/4/1". iafastro.directory. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- "Review of works on Electric propulsion at Keldysh Research Center" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
- "GSLV D3/GSAT-4 Brochure" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
- "ISRO to Test Electric Propulsion on Satellites". Archived from the original on December 2, 2015.
- Murthy, P. V. N.; Raghavaiah, Vaddi; Sowjanya, P.; Renuka, R.; Kumar, Shiv S.; Hariharan, V. K.; Rao, M. Nageswara (Dec 2016). "Study on EMI/ESD effects of Electric Propulsion System on spacecraft systems and mitigation techniques". 2016 International Conference on ElectroMagnetic Interference & Compatibility (INCEMIC). IEEE. pp. 1–4. doi:10.1109/incemic.2016.7921463. ISBN 9781509058402. S2CID 44506648.
- "Центр Келдыша разработал новый электроракетный двигатель". ТАСС. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- HUANG, WENSHENG (Dec 2017). "Electric rockets power bigger share".
- "MediaRoom - News Releases/Statements". MediaRoom. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
- "Kacific1 Milestones: Bus and Payload Integration Complete – Kacific". Retrieved 2019-12-17.
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