Orbit transfer in a resistive medium with a variable thust Hall thruster

The performance capabilities of an experimental Hall thruster obtained experimentally for both variable and constant thrust modes at low power levels enable to implement orbit transfer under the influence of air drag with small satellites. For this purpose, the measured thruster performance was employed in calculations of transfer trajectories. As a result, by applying optimal thrust acceleration control the required propellant mass for a given LEO transfer was reduced by 15-17% as compared to that required for spacecraft operation with a constant thrust to power ratio. For this purpose, a Hall thruster with a movable anode is needed. In addition, the operation of an array of thrusters enables to increase a factor of variations of the thrust acceleration during the flight time.