Starting to prep for the upcoming first ignition test of the new AIS-EHT1 Micro End-Hall Thruster this weekend! A lot has to come together for this test, and this is the culmination of the most challenging and advanced thruster system I have ever designed at AIS!
To start, I have to first wire up the anode power feed. Here I am setting up the anode power feed connection. Final builds will spot weld the feed wire to the anode, but for now a tightly fit copper wire loop will do.
With the anode feed all secured and the upper pole cap reinstalled, a quick continuity check verifies that the anode is well connected to the power wire, and is fully isolated from the rest of the thruster housing. Success!
Next, the anode and extractor electrodes are installed into the GDN1 Glow-Discharge Hollow-Cathode Neutralizer. The first test will be the EHT1 configured for tungsten filament neutralizer operation. After that, I will test the GDN1 on its own, then finally both systems together.
A quick hardware swap allows me to easily reconfigure the EHT1 Micro End-Hall Thruster from hollow cathode to tungsten filament neutralizer mode. The thruster is now ready to go for first ignition testing! Tentative schedule for LIVE testing is Saturday morning, more details soon!
