CubeSat High Impulse Propulsion System (CHIPS)

CHIPS technology supports the NASA Roadmap for In-Space Propulsion Systems, nonchemical propulsion. CubeSats and nanosatellites with CHIPS would enable a number of different significant missions for low Earth orbits including orbit raising, orbit phasing, and deorbiting. The drag makeup capability of CHIPS would allow low altitude endo-atmospheric orbits, permitting onboard sensors to operate at lower altitude. Using a cold-gas mode, CHIPS also has the capability for precision position adjustments, enabling missions requiring station keeping, formation flying, and docking. CHIPS would improve mission affordability for multiple CubeSats, since several CubeSats with CHIPS could be launched from a single low-cost booster and maneuvered to other orbits, then later deorbited. Note that CHIPS is easily scalable to smaller or larger sizes (total impulses), depending on mission and payload requirements, by changing the tank volume. Battery size can either be scaled, or kept the same size if recharging between thrust events is practical for the mission.

The CHIPS thruster family provides a compact, non-hazardous, dual-use propulsion technology solution with projected low cost, that will be made available in sizes that can meet the differing needs of users in NASA, DOD, industry, and academia for CubeSat and nanosatellite missions. More »