NATO STO

The present Task Group aims at the investigation and assessment of the power technology at micro scale for propulsion systems applied to air and space vehicles, with main focus on electrical power micropropulsion. Micro power technology has a high potential to enable in-space propulsion system, i.e. primary propulsion as well as precision pointing and orbital manoeuvring. Moreover, micro power systems enable sensors and actuators, which can be easily integrated to form intelligent onboard systems for both micro Unmanned Air Vehicle and small satellite platforms. As a follow on, we will focus on the development of MEMS-based micro power devices for propulsion, to be assessed both experimentally and numerically. The complexity of the work to be performed will require the application of the most advanced techniques and technologies, as well as their enhancement and the development of new ones, e.g. the use of micro plasma discharges for the enhancement of micropropulsion performance, as pointed out in the recent AVT-254. Furthermore, STO is uniquely qualified to organize a multi-national NATO effort to evaluate a broad class of micro power technology. An STO Task Group will establish a coherent multi-national effort to establish a common experimental database, define specific evaluation criteria, assess current predictive capabilities and encourage high performing micro power devices.