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.