Well, this is a something I hope becomes more regular as I continue to expand these efforts. The third official AIS thruster to be shipped out, as well as the third AIS-gPPT3-1C to be delivered, and the first official AIS … Continued
After the recent lifetime test of the rebuilt AIS-gPPT3-1C Micro Pulsed Plasma Thruster, I was commissioned to deliver a brand new gPPT3 system for testing and possible integration aboard another nanosat. Since lifetime of the thruster is limited to about … Continued
Today marks the one year anniversary of Applied Ion Systems LLC! It has been one heck of a ride, with many advances and setbacks. Despite the challenges faced, I think AIS has further grown and established itself a bit more … Continued
I am very excited to have had the opportunity to give a presentation at this year’s Open Source Cubesat Workshop 2020! In this talk, I reviewed open source electric propulsion work at AIS from the past year, as well as … Continued
Last October, i completed testing of the first ever fully integrated AIS propulsion system, the AIS-gPPT3-1C Integrated Propulsion Module, and sent off two for integration aboard the AMSAT-Spain GENESIS N and L PocketQubes. Despite this major success, there were a … Continued
Recently, I decided to combine the gPPT3 thruster head with the EPPT1 electronics to explore further improvements to my PPT developments while recycling the current systems I have already worked on. The first test was a resounding success – although … Continued
After modifications of the ILIS1 ridge emitter to a single spike emitter for the ILIS-X1, I attempted several tests to qualify emission from the spike. Unfortunately, I have been plagued with numerous failures, and as of now, have yet to … Continued
The Firefly team has just integrated the DREAM payloads for the upcoming Alpha launch! One of the major payloads includes the PICOBUS-1 deployer, carrying 8 PocketQubes. Two of these PocketQubes, the GENESIS N and GENESIS L, are flying the AIS-gPPT3-1C … Continued
Recently, I have been working on improving the performance of my PPT systems. Taking the already tested and qualified AIS-gPPT3-1C thruster head, and the new AIS-EPPT1 thruster board, I merged the two systems into a hybrid thruster for higher rep-rate … Continued
Although I’m not actively pursuing PPT development for PQs as primary propulsion besides low-cost demo units now, that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped exploring the tech! Decided to revive the old gPPT3 thruster, which has been well tested, and combine it … Continued