Family of High Test Peroxide (HTP) monopropellant thrusters (ALPHARD-10, -10-HP, -20, -20-HP, -200) for delta-v and RCS on small satellites, deployers, and orbital transfer vehicles.
ALPHARD Monopropellant Family
Family of High Test Peroxide (HTP) monopropellant thrusters (ALPHARD-10, -10-HP, -20, -20-HP, -200) for delta-v and RCS on small satellites, deployers, and orbital transfer vehicles.
Description
The ALPHARD family is a line of monopropellant propulsion thrusters using High Test Peroxide (HTP) at 90 w% concentration (customizable up to 95 w%) as propellant, intended for small satellites, deployers, and orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs). The family covers a range of thrust classes: ALPHARD-10 and ALPHARD-10-HP (10 N class), ALPHARD-20 and ALPHARD-20-HP (20 N class), and ALPHARD-200 (200 N class). All variants operate in Δv+RCS operational mode and share a steady-state average vacuum Isp of 160 s and a 60:1 nozzle expansion ratio, with customizable expansion ratio and optional scarfed and canted nozzle configurations. The 10 N and 20 N variants use solenoid flow control valves operated in a Peak & Hold control routine; standard versions operate at 10-28 bar inlet pressure (28 bar MEOP) while the '-HP' (high pressure) versions operate at 10-50 bar inlet pressure (50 bar MEOP), giving the HP versions a higher maximum thrust and minimum impulse bit (MIB) range. The ALPHARD-200 operates at 10-27 bar inlet pressure (27 bar MEOP) and produces 100-230 N thrust, though its flow control valve is not currently available. Thruster masses range from 0.332 kg (ALPHARD-10/-10-HP) to 1.2 kg (ALPHARD-200, without FCV), with overall lengths from 170 mm to 280 mm and maximum diameters from 60 mm to 90 mm. All variants have demonstrated life testing: the 10 N and 20 N variants have demonstrated 4000 pulses and 6000 s of accumulated firing time, while the ALPHARD-200 has demonstrated 1600 pulses and 500 s of accumulated firing time. Total impulse demonstrated ranges from 56,505.6 Ns (10 N variants) to 113,011.2 Ns (20 N variants) and 100,000 Ns (ALPHARD-200).
Specifications
| Propellant (Family Overview) | HTP 90 w% (customizable up to 95 w%) |
|---|---|
| Thrust range [n] - alphard-10 | 5.3 – 12.7 N |
| Thrust range [n] - alphard-10-hp | 5.3 – 19.7 N |
| Thrust range [n] - alphard-20 | 10 – 22.6 N |
| Thrust range [n] - alphard-20-hp | 10 – 34 N |
| Thrust range [n] - alphard-200 | 100 – 230 N |
| Inlet pressure range [bar] - alphard-10 | 10 – 28 bar |
| Inlet pressure range [bar] - alphard-10-hp | 10 – 50 |
| Inlet pressure range [bar] - alphard-20 | 10 – 28 bar |
| Inlet pressure range [bar] - alphard-20-hp | 10 – 50 |
| Inlet pressure range [bar] - alphard-200 | 10 – 27 |
| Meop [bar] - alphard-10 | 28 |
| Meop [bar] - alphard-10-hp | 50 |
| Meop [bar] - alphard-20 | 28 |
| Meop [bar] - alphard-20-hp | 50 |
| Meop [bar] - alphard-200 | 27 |
| Ss ISP average (vacuum) [s] - alphard-10 | 160 |
| Ss ISP average (vacuum) [s] - alphard-10-hp | 160 |
| Ss ISP average (vacuum) [s] - alphard-20 | 160 |
| Ss ISP average (vacuum) [s] - alphard-20-hp | 160 |
| Ss ISP average (vacuum) [s] - alphard-200 | 160 |
| Mib range [ns] - alphard-10 | 0.10 – 0.22 |
| Mib range [ns] - alphard-10-hp | 0.10 – 0.33 |
| Mib range [ns] - alphard-20 | 0.15 – 0.34 |
| Mib range [ns] - alphard-20-hp | 0.15 – 0.51 |
| Mib range [ns] - alphard-200 | 6.8 – 25 |
| Valve type - alphard-10 | Solenoid |
| Valve type - alphard-10-hp | Solenoid |
| Valve type - alphard-20 | Solenoid |
| Valve type - alphard-20-hp | Solenoid |
| Valve type - alphard-200 | Valve currently not available |
| Valve consumption [w] - alphard-10 | 18 Peak / 1.8 Hold |
| Valve consumption [w] - alphard-10-hp | 80 Peak / 8 Hold |
| Valve consumption [w] - alphard-20 | 18 Peak / 1.8 Hold |
| Valve consumption [w] - alphard-20-hp | 80 Peak / 8 Hold |
| Demonstrated life - pulses - alphard-10 | 4000 |
| Demonstrated life - pulses - alphard-10-hp | 4000 |
| Demonstrated life - pulses - alphard-20 | 4000 |
| Demonstrated life - pulses - alphard-20-hp | 4000 |
| Demonstrated life - pulses - alphard-200 | 1600 |
| Demonstrated life - total impulse [ns] - alphard-10 | 56505 |
| Demonstrated life - total impulse [ns] - alphard-10-hp | 56505 |
| Demonstrated life - total impulse [ns] - alphard-20 | 113011 |
| Demonstrated life - total impulse [ns] - alphard-20-hp | 113011 |
| Demonstrated life - total impulse [ns] - alphard-200 | 100000 |
| Demonstrated life - accumulated firing time [s] - alphard-10 | 6000 |
| Demonstrated life - accumulated firing time [s] - alphard-10-hp | 6000 |
| Demonstrated life - accumulated firing time [s] - alphard-20 | 6000 |
| Demonstrated life - accumulated firing time [s] - alphard-20-hp | 6000 |
| Demonstrated life - accumulated firing time [s] - alphard-200 | 500 |
| Alphard-10 - propellant | HTP 90 w% (customizable up to 95 w%) |
| Alphard-10 - thrust class | 10 N |
| Alphard-10 - operational mode | Δv+RCS |
| Alphard-10 - inlet pressure range | 10 – 28 bar |
| Alphard-10 - meop | 28 bar |
| Alphard-10 - thrust range | 5.3 – 12.7 N |
| Alphard-10 - nozzle expansion ratio | 60:1 (customizable; scarfed/canted options available) |
| Alphard-10 - ss ISP average (vacuum) | 160 s |
| Alphard-10 - mib range (Ns) | 0.1 – 0.22 |
| Alphard-10 - overall length | 170 mm |
| Alphard-10 - maximum diameter | 60 mm |
| Alphard-10 - mass | 0.332 kg |
| Alphard-10 - fcv type | Solenoid |
| Alphard-10 - control routine | Peak & Hold |
| Alphard-10 - demonstrated life - pulses | 4000 |
| Alphard-10 - demonstrated life - total impulse (Ns) | 56505.6 |
| Alphard-10 - demonstrated life - accumulated firing time | 6000 s |
| Alphard-10-hp - propellant | HTP 90 w% (customizable up to 95 w%) |
| Alphard-10-hp - thrust class | 10 N |
| Alphard-10-hp - operational mode | Δv+RCS |
