FPPT Fiber-Fed Pulsed Plasma Thruster
CU Aerospace
High-Isp electric propulsion ablating spooled PTFE fiber via short pulses — >3,500s Isp, no pressurized tank, scales 0.7L-53L, for orbit maneuvers and debris removal.
Technical specifications
- Pulse duration
- 10 microseconds
- Specific impulse
- >3,500 s
- Thrust vectoring range
- ±5° (pitch/yaw)
- Total impulse (1.7L package)
- >25,000 N-s
- Size range
- 0.7L to 53L
- Total impulse range across sizes
- 1,000-600,000 N-s
- Propellant
- PTFE (Teflon) fiber
About
With only a 10-microsecond pulse, FPPT delivers specific impulse greater than 3,500 seconds. PTFE (Teflon) fiber is spooled and fed into the center of the thruster; the system requires no pressurized propellant tank or valving that could leak. It includes electromagnetic thrust vectoring of approximately ±5 degrees in pitch and yaw. FPPT scales from 0.7-liter to 53-liter packages, suited for orbit raising/lowering, inclination change, collision avoidance, drag makeup, deorbiting, and deep-space missions; an ESPA-class variant supports active debris removal.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
