High-power plasma rocket engine is created with the participation of MAI

Chemical Automatics Design Bureau (CADB) is developing an electrodeless plasma rocket engine, which is a priority in the field of creating high-power electric propulsion engines.

“The existing reserve of CADB for electric propulsion and electrical installations will allow the development and manufacture of a high-power (hundreds of kilowatts) electrodeless plasma rocket engine,” - said Pavel Dronov, Head of the department “Electric Rocket Engines” CADB, at the end of the meeting of the Presidium of the Scientific and Technical Council, structure of JSC NPO Energomash.

According to him, at the first stage of the new engine prototype experimental studies, “CADB plans to create a high-power stand with a large volume of the vacuum chamber for testing elements and optimizing the parameters of prototypes and flight samples of the electrodeless plasma rocket engine”.

Vladimir Obukhov, Deputy Director of the Research Institute of Applied Mechanics and Electrodynamics (RIAME) of MAI, told about the prospect of using high-frequency ion engines with a capacity of 15-20 kW for use in heavy spacecraft delivery systems.

To carry out development tests of such engines, a bench base was prepared at RIAME of MAI. As a result of development work, carried out on reduced-size models, was reseived characteristics, which allow using such a model as a prototype engine with a capacity of 2-3 kW when performing joint work with JSC CADB, ” - said Pr-department. It is noted that the Presidium of the Scientific and Technical Council endorsed the results of the joint work between CADB and MAI.