Ionospheric Plasma Technology: ASUSat 1 & Advanced Spacecraft Propulsion Systems

The Ionospheric Plasma Research Experiment (IPRE) is the scientific payload on board Arizona State University's student designed, ASUSat 1, which is scheduled for launch in late 1995 on a Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus rocket. The IPRE consists of a group of integrated instruments and sensors designed for innovative space and Earth science applications that integrate solar power and ionospheric plasma for lowthrust propulsion, attitude control, and electrical power generation. Propulsion devices that use the natural occurring plasma of a planet's ionosphere eliminate the need for on-board propellant supplies and provide the capability of maintaining low-altitude orbits indefinitely. In this manner, the spacecraft's lifetime is dependent only upon the longevity of its components and not upon fuel availability. ASUSat 1 and the IPRE represent a major advance in technology development and will provide future space efforts a foundation for the next generation of smaller, more efficient, advanced technology spacecraft.