FPPT — Fiber-Fed Pulsed Plasma Thruster
CU Aerospace
High-Isp pulsed plasma thruster using PTFE fiber propellant for CubeSats to ESPA-class spacecraft.
Technical specifications
- Thruster type
- Pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) with electromagnetic thrust vectoring
- Specific impulse (Isp)
- >3,500 s
- Total impulse (1.7L package)
- >25,000 N-s
- Total impulse range
- 1,000–600,000 N-s (0.7L–53L)
- Package size range
- 0.7 L to 53 L (1U to ESPA-class)
- Propellant
- PTFE (Teflon®) fiber; solid, inert, no pressure vessel required
- Thrust vectoring
- ±5° pitch and yaw electromagnetic steering
- Pulse duration
- 10 microseconds
- Lead time (standard 1.7U)
- <9 months dual fault tolerant unit
About
CU Aerospace’s Fiber-Fed Pulsed Plasma Thruster (FPPT) provides very high specific impulse greater than 3,500 seconds via a 10-microsecond electromagnetic pulse discharge using solid PTFE (Teflon®) fiber propellant spooled inside the package. No pressurized propellant tank or valving that can leak propellant is required, making FPPT inherently safe and compliant with range safety regulations. The system includes electromagnetic thrust vectoring of approximately ±5 degrees in pitch and yaw. FPPT delivers total impulse greater than 25,000 N-s in a 1.7-liter package and has evolved into form factors from 0.7 L to 53 L providing total impulses from 1,000 to 600,000 N-s. Applications include orbit raising and lowering, inclination change, collision avoidance, drag makeup, deorbiting, and deep space missions. The ESPA-class FPPT variant can serve as the propulsion system for active debris removal (ADR) satellites. Isp and total impulse are competitive with Hall and ion thrusters at significantly lower cost.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
