The Steam TunaCan Thruster is a water-powered, easy-to-operate propulsion system
specifically developed for CubeSats.
Description
The tailored shape factor has been designed to allow its installation in the “tunacan” volume located outside the main CubeSat structure, available in most of the CubeSats deployers. This allows to add propulsion capabilities, but without sacrificing any internal volume used for payloads and other subsystems. Multiple TunaCan Thrusters can be installed on CubeSat platforms larger than 3U.
The system uses just low-pressure water as the main propellant, for added safety and simplified operation, and it is designed to be easily integrated into any satellite.
The Steam TunaCan Thruster can be operated at a power level between 5W to 20W, depending on the CubeSat’s resource availability. Because of its simple design, the propulsion system does not cause any RF or magnetic interference.
Typical use-cases include:
- orbit adjustments
- constellation management
- collision avoidance
- de-orbiting
The Steam TunaCan Thruster represents a significant step forward in CubeSat technology and will provide the reliability and performance needed for a wide range of space missions.
01. Beneficial Shape Factor
02. Green and Safe Technology
03. Space Qualified
04. Flight Heritage
Steam Tunacan Thruster
Specifications | Value |
|---|---|
Nominal Thrust | 6 mN |
Specific Impulse | 172 s |
Total Impulse | 219 Ns |
Minimum Impulse Bit | 10 mNs |
Power consumption Thrusting / Idle | <19.9 / 0.12 W |
Wet mass | 540 g |
Propellant Mass | 130 g |
Propellant | Water |
Voltage | 9 – 14 VDC |
Communication Protocol | RS 422, TTL UART |
Dimensions | Ø 80 x 80 mm |