Busek

Busek was founded in 1985 by Vlad Hruby in Natick, Massachusetts.{{Cite web |date=2014-08-25 |title=Spotlight {{!}} Busek Co. Inc. |url=https://spacenews.com/41665spotlight-busek-co-inc/ |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}} Busek started as a laboratory outside of Boston, Massachusetts.

File:BHT-200 Firing.JPG

The first US Hall thruster flown in space, Busek's BHT-200, was launched aboard the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) TacSat-2 satellite. The Busek thruster was part of the Microsatellite Propulsion Integration (MPI) Experiment and was integrated on TacSat-2 under the direction of the DoD Space Test Program. TacSat-2 launched on December 16, 2006 from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility.{{Cite book|last1=Goebel|first1=Dan|title=Fundamentals of Electric Propulsion: Ion and Hall Thrusters|last2=Katz|first2=Ira|publisher=Wiley|year=2008|isbn=978-0470429273|location=Hoboken, New Jersey|pages=442}}

The first electrospray thruster that made it to space was manufactured by Busek and launched aboard the European Space Agency's LISA Pathfinder satellite on December 3, 2015. The micro-newton colloid-style electric thruster was developed under contract with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA ST-7 Program) and part of NASA's Disturbance Reduction System (DRS), which serves a critical role in the LISA Pathfinder science mission.{{Cite web|title=Colloid Microthrusters Demonstrated on LISA Pathfinder {{!}} Science Mission Directorate|url=https://science.nasa.gov/technology/technology-highlights/colloid-microthrusters-demonstrated-on-lisa-pathfinder|access-date=2021-04-27|website=science.nasa.gov}}{{Cite journal|last1=Ziemer|first1=John K.|last2=Randolph|first2=Thomas|last3=Hruby|first3=Vlad|last4=Spence|first4=Douglas|last5=Demmons|first5=Nathaniel|last6=Roy|first6=Tom|last7=Connolly|first7=William|last8=Ehrbar|first8=Eric|last9=Zwahlen|first9=Jurg|last10=Martin|first10=Roy|date=2006|title=Colloid Microthrust Propulsion for the Space Technology 7 (ST7) and LISA Missions|url=http://aip.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1063/1.2405097|journal=AIP Conference Proceedings|language=en|location=Greenbelt, Maryland (USA)|publisher=AIP|volume=873|pages=548–555|doi=10.1063/1.2405097}}

Aerojet, under license with Busek,{{cite web

|last=Wilhelm, S

|title= In rocket technology, the ion is king of the jungle

|url= http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/1999/05/17/story8.html

|publisher=Puget Sound Business Journal, May 16, 1999

}}{{cite web

|title= Advanced Satellite Propulsion Technology

|url= http://www.afsbirsttr.com/Publications/Documents/satprop.pdf

|publisher= Air Force SBIR Impact

|access-date= 2012-10-23

|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120903015020/http://www.afsbirsttr.com/Publications/Documents/satprop.pdf

|archive-date= 2012-09-03

|url-status= dead

}} manufactured the 4 kW Hall thruster (the BPT-4000) which was flown aboard the USAF AEHF communications spacecraft.

In 2023, Busek announced the successful on-orbit commissioning of its BHT-350 Hall-effect thrusters on 80 OneWeb satellites, launched in December 2022 and January 2023 on SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets. The new OneWeb communications satellites use the thrusters for orbit-raising, station-keeping, collision avoidance and de-orbiting at the conclusion of each satellite’s mission.{{cite web

|last=Werner, Debra

|title= Busek ramps up production for OneWeb Constellation

|url=

https://spacenews.com/busek-ramps-up-production-for-oneweb-constellation/

|publisher= Space News, February 6, 2023

}}

Busek will be providing Hall thrusters for NASA's Artemis Program. As part of the Power and Propulsion Element, Busek's 6 kW Hall thrusters will work in combination with NASA's Advanced Electric Propulsion System to provide orbit-raising and station-keeping capabilities for the Lunar Gateway. The Lunar Gateway's polar near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) will require periodic orbit adjustment, and electric propulsion will use solar energy for this task.{{cite conference |url=http://electricrocket.org/2019/651.pdf |title=The Application of Advanced Electric Propulsion on the NASA Power and Propulsion Element |last1=Herman |first1=Dan |last2=Gray |first2=Timothy |last3=Johnson |first3=Ian |last4=Kerl |first4=Taylor |last5=Lee |first5=Ty |last6=Silva |first6=Tina |date=15 September 2019 |pages=15 |location=Vienna, Austria |conference=International Electric Propulsion Conference |id=}}

File:RF Ion Propellants.jpg

Busek has demonstrated experimental xenon Hall thrusters at power levels exceeding 20kW.{{cite web

|author1=Boyd, I. |author2=Sun, Q. |author3=Cai, C. |author4=Tatum, K. |title= Particle Simulation of Hall Thruster Plumes in the 12V Vacuum Chamber

|url= http://erps.spacegrant.org/uploads/images/images/iepc_articledownload_1988-2007/2005index/138.pdf

|publisher= IEPC Paper 2005-138, Proceedings of the 29th International Electric Propulsion Conference, Princeton University, 2005

}} Busek has also developed Hall thrusters that operate on iodine,{{Cite journal|last1=Szabo|first1=James|last2=Pote|first2=Bruce|last3=Paintal|first3=Surjeet|last4=Robin|first4=Mike|last5=Hillier|first5=Adam|last6=Branam|first6=Richard D.|last7=Huffmann|first7=Richard E.|date=2012-07-01|title=Performance Evaluation of an Iodine-Vapor Hall Thruster|url=https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/1.B34291|journal=Journal of Propulsion and Power|volume=28|issue=4|pages=848–857|doi=10.2514/1.B34291}}{{cite web

|last=Marshall Space Flight Center

| title= Iodine-Compatible Hall Effect Thruster

|url= https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/tb/techbriefs/physical-sciences/24844?m=1393

|publisher=NASA Tech Briefs, June 2016.

}} bismuth,{{cite web

|last = Walker, M|title = Propulsion and Energy: Electric Propulsion (Year in Review, 2005)|url = http://mwalker.gatech.edu/papers/Electric%20prop_AerospaceAmerica_121505.pdf|publisher = Aerospace America, December 2005}}{{cite web |last=Marshall Space Flight Center |date=November 2008 |title=Hall-Effect Thruster Utilizing Bismuth as Propellant |url=http://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/3362 |publisher=NASA Tech Briefs, 32, 11}} carbon dioxide,{{cite web |last=Bergin |first=C. |date=January 9, 2012 |title=Enabling the future: NASA Call for exploration revolution via NIAC concepts |url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/01/enabling-future-nasa-call-exploration-revolution-niac-concepts/ |publisher=NASA Spaceflight.com}} magnesium,{{cite web

|last=Glenn Research Center

|title= Improved Hall Thrusters Fed by Solid Phase Propellant

|url=https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/tb/techbriefs/aerospace/22415?m=1393

|publisher=NASA Tech Briefs, July 2015

}} zinc,{{cite web|author1=Szabo, J.|author2=Robin, M.|author3=Duggan, J..|author4=Hofer, R.|title=Light Metal Propellant Hall Thrusters|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274070617|publisher=IEPC paper 09-138, Proceedings of the 31st International Electric Propulsion Conference, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2009.}} and other substances. An iodine fueled 200 W Busek Hall thruster will fly on NASA's iSat (Iodine Satellite) mission. Busek is also preparing a 600 Watt iodine Hall thruster system for future Discovery Class missions.{{cite web

| title= Iodine Hall Thruster for Space Exploration

|url= http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/success-stories/iodine-hall-thruster-space-exploration

|publisher=NASA SBIR/STTR Success Stories, 5 May 2016

}}

Other publicized Busek technologies include RF ion engines{{Cite journal|last1=Krejci|first1=David|last2=Lozano|first2=Paul|title=Space Propulsion Technology for Small Spacecraft|url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8252908|journal=Proceedings of the IEEE|year=2018 |volume=106|issue=3 |pages=362–378|doi=10.1109/JPROC.2017.2778747 |hdl=1721.1/114401 |s2cid=3268221 |hdl-access=free}} and a resistojet rocket.{{cite web

|last=Goddard Space Flight Center

|title= Micro-Resistojet for Small Satellites

|url= http://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/2876

|publisher=NASA Tech Briefs, June 2008

}} Another focus is CubeSat propulsion, proposed for the 2018 Lunar IceCube mission.{{cite web |url=http://www.moreheadstate.edu/News/2015/April/MSU_s__Deep_Space_Probe__selected_by_NASA_for_Lunar_Mission/ |title=MSU's 'Deep Space Probe' selected by NASA for Lunar Mission |work=Morehead State University |date=1 April 2015 |accessdate=2015-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526085021/http://www.moreheadstate.edu/News/2015/April/MSU_s__Deep_Space_Probe__selected_by_NASA_for_Lunar_Mission/ |archive-date=26 May 2015 |url-status=dead}}

{{asof|2012|07}}, Busek was working on a DARPA-funded program called DARPA Phoenix, which aimed to recycle some parts of on-orbit spacecraft.

{{cite web

|last=Johnson, C.

|title= Boston-area firms to help recycle satellites

|url= https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/technology/2012/07/29/boston-area-companies-help-defense-department-recycle-satellites-recycling-satellites-may-ease-junk-issue/BeABXaAHMomaPhMtTbKEMP/story.html?camp=pm

|publisher=The Boston Globe, July 30, 2012.

}}

In September 2013, NASA awarded an 18‑month Phase I contract to Busek to develop an experimental concept called a High Aspect Ratio Porous Surface (HARPS) microthruster system for use in tiny CubeSat spacecraft.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-19 |title=Game Changing Development |url=https://www.nasa.gov/stmd-game-changing-development/ |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=NASA |language=en-US}}[https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20150002945.pdf Small Satellite Propulsion]. (PDF), p. 12. AstroRecon 2015. January 8–10, 2015. Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.

In March 2021, Busek and Maxar Technologies completed an end-to-end hot fire test campaign validating the 6-kilowatt solar electric propulsion (SEP) subsystem for the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) of NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit.{{Cite web |date=2021-03-18 |title=Maxar and Busek Thruster System for NASA Lunar Gateway Passes Critical Milestone |url=https://apnews.com/press-release/pr-newswire/technology-business-science-astronomy-spacecraft-manufacturing-4a967677abf17555dcc0552f4e056bb4 |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}

In order to deal with space debris, Busek proposed in 2014 a remotely controlled vehicle to rendezvous with this debris, capture it, and attach a smaller deorbit satellite to the debris. The remotely controlled vehicle would then drag the debris/smallsat-combination, using a tether, to the desired location. The larger satellite would then tow the debris/smallsat combination to either deorbit or move it to a higher graveyard orbit by means of electric propulsion. The larger satellite, named the Orbital Debris Remover, or ORDER, would carry over 40 SUL (Satellite on an Umbilical Line) deorbit satellites and sufficient propellant for a large number of orbital maneuvers required to effect a 40-satellite debris removal mission over many years. Busek projected the cost for such a space tug to be {{USD|80 million}}.

{{cite news |last1=Foust| first1=Jeff |title=Companies Have Technologies, but Not Business Plans, for Orbital Debris Cleanup |url=http://www.spacenews.com/article/civil-space/42656companies-have-technologies-but-not-business-plans-for-orbital-debris |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141206140211/http://www.spacenews.com/article/civil-space/42656companies-have-technologies-but-not-business-plans-for-orbital-debris |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 6, 2014 |accessdate=2014-12-06 |work=Space News |date=2014-11-25 }}

• {{annotated link|AEHF}}
• {{annotated link|FalconSAT-3}}
• {{annotated link|FalconSAT-5}} (USA-221)
• {{annotated link|LISA Pathfinder}}
• {{annotated link|Lunar IceCube}}
• {{annotated link|TacSat-2}}
• {{annotated link|OneWeb}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

Category:1985 establishments in Massachusetts

Category:Spacecraft propulsion