Dawn Aerospace Thrusters (B1, B5, B20, B200)
Dawn Aerospace
Dawn Aerospace offers a range of non-toxic 'green' chemical propulsion thrusters (B1, B5, B20, B200) using nitrous oxide and propene, designed for various spacecraft sizes and mission profiles.
Key figurescomparable across the catalogue
- Mass
- 0.695 kg
- Thrust
- 6.46 N
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
- Thrust, range (B20)
- 6.46 to 18.11 N (1.45 to 4.07 lbf)
- Minimum impulse bit (b20) bi-prop
- 0.98 N.s (0.22 lbf.s)
- Minimum impulse bit (b20) cold-gas
- 10 mN.s (0.02 lbf.s)
- Ignition (B20)
- Spark-based igniter
- Pulse frequency (B20)
- 4 Hz
- Restarts (B20)
- 10,000+ per thruster
- Thruster dimensions (B20)
- 176 x 80 x 79 mm (6.93 x 3.15 x 3.11 in)
- Dry mass (B20)
- 695 g (1.53 lbm)
- Nozzle expansion ratio (B20)
- 100:1
- Valves (B20)
- Normally-closed solenoid, Four per thruster (firing and isolation)
- Mounting (B20)
- 3x M5 threaded holes
- Control (B20)
- Operable together or independently
- Firing modes (B20)
- Bi-prop & cold-gas. Switch at will. Managed by not engaging the spark-ignitor.
- Cold-start capable (B20)
- Yes. Highly repeatable
- Flight heritage (B20)
- 100+ successfully launched into orbit
- Thrust, range (B1)
- 0.49 to 1.35 N (0.11 to 0.30 lbf)
- Minimum impulse bit (b1) bi-prop
- 74 mN.s (0.016 lbf.s)
- Minimum impulse bit (b1) cold-gas
- 1.4 mN.s (3.1e-4 lbf.s)
- Ignition (B1)
- Spark-based igniter
- Pulse frequency (B1)
- 4 Hz
- Restarts (B1)
- 18,000+ per thruster
- Thruster dimensions (B1)
- 108 x 79 x 40 mm (4.25 x 3.11 x 1.58 in)
- Dry mass (B1)
- 260 g (0.57 lbm)
- Nozzle expansion ratio (B1)
- 100:1
- Valves (B1)
- Normally-closed solenoid, Two per thruster
- Mounting (B1)
- 4x 3.2 mm holes.
- Control (B1)
- Operable together or independently
- Firing modes (B1)
- Bi-prop & cold-gas. Switch at will. Managed by not engaging the spark-igniter
- Cold-start capable (B1)
- Yes. Highly repeatable
- Flight heritage (B1)
- 50+ successfully launched into orbit on cubesat and small satellite
- Restarts (B5/B200)
- 12,000+
About
Dawn Aerospace’s thruster line includes the B1 (1 N), B5 (5 N), B20 (20 N), and B200 (200 N) ‘green’ chemical propulsion thrusters. These systems utilize nitrous oxide (N₂O) and propene (C₃H₆) as propellants, offering a safer and more cost-effective alternative to traditional toxic fuels like hydrazine. The thrusters are designed for reliable performance in orbit and easier integration on the ground. The B20 is a 20 N thruster suitable for larger orbit changes and delta-V missions for bigger small satellites, including Lunar and Deep space missions. It features an integrated thruster, valves, and control electronics, an additively manufactured Inconel 718 body, health monitoring instrumentation, and standard power/data interfaces. It is operable under ambient conditions for fast ground testing and has a heritage of 100+ units successfully launched into orbit. The B1 is a 1 N class thruster designed for fine attitude control and small maneuvers, particularly for CubeSats and small satellites. It is a core component in Dawn’s CubeDrive modules and can be clustered for 6-axis control. It also features integrated components, an additively manufactured Inconel 718 body, standard interfaces, and ambient operability for ground testing, with 50+ units successfully launched. The B5 (5 N) and B200 (200 N) extend this flight-proven architecture to higher thrust classes, designed for responsive maneuvering, refueling compatibility, and scalable mission performance. All thrusters are self-pressurizing, eliminating the need for separate pressurization systems and regulators, which enhances reliability due to fewer parts and interfaces. They are cold-start capable, pulse-mode capable, and can operate in a cold-gas mode. The non-toxic nature of the propellants makes them easy to handle, lowers risk, and makes them ride-share friendly. Ignition is spark-based, avoiding the need for catalysts.
Documentation
- cfd301_bd4ce3df04e14326b4332c9dfad2b0c8.pdf PDF source: www.dawnaerospace.com ↗
- cfd301_5202e0fd24ab4ac198dcfd77b09e8a20.pdf PDF source: www.dawnaerospace.com ↗
Need the full ICD, test reports or a specific revision? Ask the supplier directly.