BHT-6000
Busek Co.
The BHT-6000 is a high-performance Hall effect thruster optimized for mid-to-high power applications, capable of operating in both high thrust and high impulse modes.
Key figurescomparable across the catalogue
- Power
- 5,000 W
- Thrust
- 5,000 N
- Specific impulse
- 2,029 s
- Total impulse
- 8.5 N·s
Normalised to common units so this product can be compared with others in its category. The supplier's own wording is below.
As published by the supplier
- Nominal discharge power (High Thrust Mode)
- 5,000 W
- Supply voltage (High Thrust Mode)
- 300 V
- Thrust (High Thrust Mode)
- 320 mN
- Specific impulse (High Thrust Mode)
- 2,029 s
- Nominal discharge power (High Impulse Mode)
- 6,000 W
- Supply voltage (High Impulse Mode)
- 600 V
- Thrust (High Impulse Mode)
- 288 mN
- Specific impulse (High Impulse Mode)
- 2,600 s
- Propellants
- Xenon, Krypton, Iodine
- Predicted total impulse
- >8.5 MN-sec
- Operating power range
- 2-6 kW
- Total efficiency
- Exceeds 64% at nominal operating conditions
About
The BHT-6000 is a high-power, high-performance Hall effect thruster developed by Busek, leveraging decades of research and development expertise. It is designed for mid-to-high power applications, specifically optimized for all-electric orbit raising, station-keeping, and de-orbit needs. Key applications include the Lunar Gateway, GEO communications spacecraft, and solar electric space tugs. The thruster is a critical component of NASA’s Artemis program, providing propulsion for the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) which will offer power, high-rate communications, attitude control, and orbital transfer capabilities for the Lunar Gateway. It is notable as the first U.S. electric propulsion system on a human-rated mission. The BHT-6000 features a highly efficient center-mounted cathode design and a unique magnetic field design, achieving a total efficiency exceeding 64% at nominal operating conditions. It offers dual-mode operation, allowing switching between a high thrust mode and a high impulse mode. The thruster can utilize Xenon, Krypton, and Iodine as propellants and has a predicted total impulse greater than 8.5 MN-sec. A cluster of 4x BHT-6000s along with 2x NASA AEPS thrusters will be used to boost the combined PPE and HALO Module to the Lunar Gateway’s unique NRHO orbit and perform station keeping maneuvers.
Documentation
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