BIT-3 RF Ion Thruster
Busek Co.
Compact iodine-fueled gridded RF ion thruster; flown on NASA SLS deep-space CubeSat missions.
Typed specifications36 values
Discloses 7 of 10 fields engineers filter by in this category (category median 3).
- Propulsion family
- electric datasheet p.1
- Mass
- 1.4 kg w/ gimbal · datasheet p.2 1.28 kg w/o gimbal
- Thrust
- 1.1 mN Up to · datasheet p.1 1.1 mN max | 1.1 mN Up to
- Envelope (L×W×H)
- 180 x 88 x 102 mm datasheet p.2
- Specific impulse
- 2 150 s Up to · datasheet p.1 2 150 s max | 2 150 s Up to
- Propellant
- iodine solid storage · datasheet p.2 xenon
- Supply voltage
- 28 V nom. · ambient temp. · datasheet p.2 28 V 28 VDC (ambient temp.)
- Power consumption
- 56 W System Power · datasheet p.2 35 W max · Thermal Dissipation Load | 56–75 W | 75 W System Power
- Data interface
- RS-485 datasheet p.2
- Operating temperature
- -15–45 °C datasheet p.2
- Thruster technology
- gridded ion RF gridded ion thruster, iodine-fueled · datasheet p.1
- Propellant mass flow
- 52 mg/s datasheet p.2
- Propellant mass (full load)
- 1.5 kg max · datasheet p.2
- Power at thrust
- 56 W input propulsion system · datasheet p.1 56 W System Power | 56–75 W system power | 75 W input propulsion system | 75 W System Power
- Flight heritage
- NASA SLS deep-space CubeSat missions (2021) product page
- Satellite class
- CubeSat deep-space CubeSat missions; delta-V for 14 kg CubeSat · datasheet p.1
- Reference spacecraft mass for delta-v
- 14 kg CubeSat · datasheet p.2
- Power processing unit included
- yes datasheet p.2
- Dry mass
- 1.4 kg w/ gimbal · datasheet p.2 1.28 kg w/o gimbal
- Thrust vector control
- gimballed optional integrated 2-axis ±10° gimbal · datasheet p.2
- PPU efficiency
- 90 % nom. · ~90% RF power supply · datasheet p.2
Each value is typed with its unit and measurement condition and cites the datasheet page it was taken from. Nothing is guessed: a field that is absent here has not been published by the manufacturer. machine-extracted ✓ checked by NewSpace Market ✓ manufacturer confirmed by the manufacturer.
As published by the supplier9 lines, in the manufacturer's own wording
- System power
- 56-75 W
- Thrust
- Up to 1.1 mN
- Specific impulse
- Up to 2150 s
- System dry mass
- 1.40 kg (with gimbal)
- Delta-v
- Up to 2.39 km/s (14 kg CubeSat)
- Propellant
- Iodine (also compatible with xenon)
- Neutralizer
- BRFC-1 micro RF cathode
- PPU efficiency
- ~90% RF power supply
- Flight heritage
- NASA SLS deep-space CubeSat missions (2021)
About
Busek’s BIT-3 is an iodine-fueled gridded RF ion thruster that flew on deep-space CubeSat missions aboard NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) in 2021. The 56-75 W input propulsion system uses a 2.5 cm diameter grid RF ion thruster with a micro RF cathode (BRFC-1) neutralizer, using an inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) discharge to eliminate the need for an internal hot cathode. Its compatibility with iodine propellant — a drop-in replacement for xenon with over 2x storage density — eliminates the need for high-pressure tanks; a 3,500-hour duration test on iodine has been completed. An optional gimbal enables reaction wheel desaturation as part of the attitude control system.
Documentation
Need the full ICD, test reports or a specific revision? Ask the supplier directly.