Thrusters
Rubicon’s line of advanced, high-performance thrusters delivers unprecedented performance with true monopropellant simplicity. By harnessing ASCENT (AF-M315E) – a safe, long-term-storable propellant jointly developed by AFRL and NASA – each thruster eliminates the handling risks and system complexity of traditional bipropellant engines.
Our portfolio spans the flight-proven 0.1N thruster, the versatile 1N and 5N thrusters, and the large 110N thruster. Each thruster was meticulously design to minimize pre-heating power requirements, and maximize the operational envelope. Backed by a team with over 35 years of combined propulsion experience and ongoing support from NASA, AFRL and MDA, Rubicon’s ASCENT thrusters’ power smallsat and large spacecraft missions alike.
Thruster Comparison Chart
| ATTRIBUTE | 0.1N HT | 1N LT | 1N HT | 5N LT | 5N HT | 22 N LT | 110N LT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRL | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| PMI | F | E | E | E | E | D | E |
| Thrust Range | 0.1 N (.03 - .15 N) | 1 N (.2 – 1.1 N) | 1 N (.2 – 1.1 N) |
5 N(.6 – 6 N) |
5 N (.6 – 6 N) | 22 N (2.5 - 25 N) | 110N (10 - 110N) |
| Inlet Pressure (Untrimmed) | 8 bar | 20 bar | 20 bar | 20 bar | 20 bar | 20 bar | 20 bar |
| Specific Impulse | > 195 s | > 250 s | > 250s | > 250s | > 250s | > 250s | > 250s |
| Throughput | > 3 kg | > 5 kg | > 14 kg | > 10 kg | > 50kg* | > 50kg* | > 50kg* |
| Heater Power (mininum) | 6 - 8 W | ~ 15 W | ~ 15 W | ~ 25 W | ~ 25 W | ~ 40 W* | < 100 W |
| Pre-Heat Time (@ min power) | < 5 min | < 15 min | < 15 min | < 15 min | < 15 min | < 15 min | < 20 min |
| Single Burn Duration (tested) | 6,000 s | > 300 s | > 300 s | > 300 s | > 300 s | > 300s* | > 300s* |
| MIB | < 1.6 mNs | < 0.05 Ns | < 0.05 Ns | < 0.05 Ns | < 0.05 Ns | < 0.1 Ns | TBD |
| Mass (with valve) | < 60 g | < 250 g | ~ 250 g | < 300 g | < 300 g | ~500 g | < 2 kg |