Dozens of Xantus Metal Plasma Thruster (MPT) units are shipping out in H1. Under a license from Alameda Applied Sciences Corporation, Benchmark has been iterating and building units since 2022. Early adopters are flying a range of missions where Xantus units will be used for operations such as drag compensation, orbital maneuvers and final de-orbit, with on-orbit demonstration data expected in H2 2025.
Xantus Units Ready for Delivery
A common question from our mission partners has been how do we understand the effect of electrical noise of a pulsed device on our spacecraft? Each Xantus unit delivers up to 1mN of thrust using quasineutral pulsed plasmas created from solid metal propellant. The potential radiated electrical noise is a widely uncharacterized metric, and we needed to provide the insights required for our customers to make design decisions with confidence.
There are several challenges with gaining EMC data. As with most electric propulsion (EP) technology, the unit needs to be in a vacuum environment to operate. Additionally, since the common electrical specifications assume a steady-state emission spectrum, due to the pulsed nature of MPT firing events, very specific EM expertise is required to create an instrumentation plan capable of capturing relevant radiated emission measurements. This combination limits traditional testing options, making this process bespoke, costly and lengthy. The process would involve finding an EMC chamber which could be pulled down to vacuum. Our team was determined to find a better way.
The team then approached Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International with this novel idea. They immediately saw the value in this capability enabler for Xantus and its end users and the resulting markets it could unlock, and supported the project.
The team learned about AQL EMC, a UKAS accredited electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test-house within the Eurofins global network of testing laboratories. AQL has a unique specialty in EMC testing for pulsed systems. Even better, they were willing and excited to try a new approach and contribute their extensive expertise to the process.
The solution involved placing a Xantus unit in a custom glass bell jar vacuum chamber while keeping the noisiest of the support equipment outside the anechoic chamber. To enable accurate measurement AQL provided expertise in helping to characterize the setup, including accounting for glass jar and Molybdenum deposition attenuation, and performing EMC test sweeps through the glass jar across common S/C S-band, X-band and GPS frequencies.
Video Footage of Testing
In addition to the success of the testing, this innovate new space method resulted in 20x cost savings versus traditional processes which had been explored.
Xantus is available today for early adopters looking to optimize delta-V and control authority for high-endurance station keeping, ultra-precise pointing, rendezvous, and docking operations with maximum simplicity and reliability. And soon, the technology will enable integrated chemical + electric hybrid propulsion systems for microsats, and it will also play a prominent role in In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) operations.
The Bell Jar at the Test Site
Additional Resources:
- Download the Xantus Data Sheet.
- Read the paper presented by Vice President of Electric Propulsion, Kent Frankovich, at the 3AF Space Propulsion Conference in 2024 “Metal Plasma Thruster (MPT): From Garage to Orbit in Four Years”