In-situ lunar propellants for hall effect thrusters

This paper explores the potential of using lunar resources, specifically magnesium and calcium, as electric propulsion propellants, aiming to facilitate more sustainable space exploration and enable innovative mission architectures. These elements are abundant in the lunar regolith and have a sufficiently high vapour pressure to support the operation of Hall effect thrusters. Sublimation rates have been determined through tests conducted within a vacuum chamber. Conductive heating of the magnesium in granular form resulted in a sublimation rate of approximately 0.94 mg/s at 524.27°C, slightly lower than predicted. Difficulties encountered during in-situ mass measurements have been detailed. To initiate the next stage of the project, propellant storage and delivery system concepts have been created to integrate the sublimation method into a Hall effect thruster propulsion system.