R-800 Hall Effect Thruster

The R-800 is a Hall Effect Thruster designed for the 450–900W discharge power range, suitable for low to medium mass satellite platforms up to 1,000 kg. It produces thrust levels of 24–53 mN at a specific impulse of 1,300–1,550 s with total available impulse exceeding 750 kN·s.

The R-800 achieves a low mass and compact volume footprint through its center-mounted cathode and permanent magnet configuration. The conventional Hall thruster topology uses the gas distributer as the anode, and unique materials and structural design result in a relatively lightweight thruster. The center-mounted low-current heaterless hollow cathode increases thruster lifetime and reliability while eliminating the power-consuming heater supply.

The R-800 completed full qualification including shock, vibration, and endurance testing at power levels from 450W up to 1,350W. Operation was verified on both Xenon and Krypton propellants. Rafael provides fully integrated propulsion systems incorporating the R-800 thruster unit with a power processing unit, system controller, and propellant management assembly.