https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2020-10032-9
Regular Article
Recent progress in research on micro-cathode arc thrusters
1
School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, P.R. China
2
Key Laboratory of Aerospace Plasma Propulsion, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, P.R. China
3
Beijing Institute of Control Engineering, China Academy of Space Technology, Beijing 100094, P.R. China
a e-mail: weiliqiu@hit.edu.cn
Received:
16
January
2020
Received in final form:
7
March
2020
Published online:
1
May
2020
Micro-cathode arc thrusters have been widely used in micro-nanosatellites owing to their high specific impact, long lifetime, repeatable startup, low thrust and high control precision. Micro-cathode arc thrusters and their derivatives are currently being developed and optimized. The micro-cathode arc thruster can generate plasma stably and efficiently, and form a thrust force under a magnetic field with very low power in pulsed operation mode. This paper reviews the last 20 years of literature on micro-cathode arc thrusters, with a focus on papers published in this field in the last 5 years. In light of the development of the micro-cathode arc thruster and the latest research, the direction of future development and the application of key technologies are reviewed. Future micro-cathode arc propulsion systems are expected to exhibit higher reliability, longer lifetimes, higher specific impact, greater integration and higher thrust and to be operated in various modes.
Key words: Plasma Physics
© EDP Sciences / Società Italiana di Fisica / Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature, 2020