Paul Stansell
Solid State Propulsion
Presentation Synopsis:
Paul is an individual deeply invested in the realm of space propulsion. From his early days, he demonstrated an inclination towards understanding the intricacies of space propulsion, as evidenced by his school projects involving custom solid rocket motors and an EMdrive prototype. Academically, Paul's journey through the world of astrophysics and physics is noteworthy. With an undergraduate degree in Astronomy and Astrophysics, followed by honours in Theoretical Physics and a Master's by Research in Physics, he has consistently pursued his passion. For his master's project, he developed a vacuum arc ion thruster that utilizes metal as its propellant source. Today, Paul is working on Solid State Propulsion, or SSP. He's currently focused on adapting a vacuum arc thruster for PocketQubes, an endeavor that aims to make advancements in this technology and prove its utility. His goal, informed by past experiments like the first ever use of a metallic meteorite as fuel for a gridded ion thruster, is to explore the practicalities of in-space refuelling, particularly from metallic asteroids.
“Development and testing of PocketQube propulsion”
PocketQubes hold immense potential for various scientific, commercial, and educational missions but are limited in their capability to alter orbits and maintain attitude without effective propulsion systems. Thus, the development of propulsion systems tailored to them becomes essential to unlock their full potential in space exploration. Due to their reduced form factor and payload capacity, PocketQubes will require propulsion solutions that are not only highly efficient and compact but also utilize alternative propellants that are both inexpensive and easily stored aboard such small spacecraft. This talk focuses on the development and testing of a vacuum arc PocketQube propulsion system that meets these requirements. Attention is given to the test campaign, typical missions, propulsion system features and potential for in-space refueling.
