Matrix of 10 × 10 addressed solid propellant microthrusters: Review of the technologies

An EC funded MicroPyros project has permitted to develop the technologies to fabricate, assemble and command solid propellant microthrusters arrays for thrusts of a few of milli Newtons The prototype built for space application has 100 individually addressed ∅ 1.5 mm × 1.5 mm thrusters on 576 mm². Nozzles’ throats are 250 μm and 500 μm. This paper reviews the prototype structure and details the final processes for the fabrication and assembling. This paper presents also a new addressing technology based on polysilicon threshold elements used for the addressing and heating of each thruster in the array. With polysilicon threshold element, ignition success is of 100% with an input power of 250 mW using a zirconium perchlorate potassium (ZPP) material. Then, the combustion of a glycidyle azide polymer (GAP) is sustained in the chamber and generate thrusts in the range of 0.3–2.3 mN depending of the micronozzle dimension.