堀 恵一

The authors have developed the practical prototype of a micro-solid propellant rocket array thruster for attitude control of a 10kg class micro-spacecraft. a target of this activity is to build the array thruster with 10000 of solid propellant micro-rockets arrayed on a 100×100mm substrate. The prototype with the Φ0.8 micro-rockets arrayed at a pitch of 1.2mm on a 20×30mm substrate has built and tested so far. Boron/potassium nitrate (NAB) propellant is used with/without initiator of lead rhodanide/potassium chlorate/nitrocellulose (RK). Impulse thrust was measured by means of a pendulum method. The experimental results show that the prototype has proper ignition characteristics and further experimental studies are needed to evaluate and to control the impulse thrust with accuracy. We are planning to conduct the thrust measurement test under vacuum condition.