Various RFG & EP Activities
Main Overview & examples over the last 20 years
ArianeGroup – RFG-1000W
- ESA NASA MARS Sample Return Mission
- THALES Alenia Space – SES SA (SES) – Intelsat
- BOEING Space – EP Systems for Standard Platforms
- Development, Qualification & Series Production of RFG1000W for RIT2x
ESA RFG-60W EVO-ADV EM#02 for RIT-3.5
- Development of Engineering Model of a miniaturized RFG for µRIT3.5 Advanced & optimized version
ESA´s (ArianeGroup) MRGAN – RFG-60W EM#01 for RIT4.0
- Development of Engineering Model of a miniaturized RFG-60 for µRIT 4.0.
RITSAT/ LOEWE – µRIT Ion Thruster Engines
- Development & production of miniaturized RFG-60
- Power Supply Unit (PSCU) for RFG60 RITSAT with SPI-CMD/IF
- Construction & Production of Thruster Demonstrator RIT-3.5 (Vessel, Coil, Grid‘s and Case)
APCON´s Power Module Assembly µRIT Ion Thruster Engines
Design study for the arrangement of Radio Frequency Generator, Power Supply Unit and negative + postive High Voltage Power Supply HVPS for µRIT Mirco Ion Thruster Engine
- Modules can be designed with identical mechanical layout.
- Compact like a 5.4 Inch Smart phone
- RFG – PPU – P-HVPS + N-HVPS
- Engineering Model (EM#01 BLUE):
- Miniature RFG60 + PSCU-RFG µRIT-3.5 RITSAT_LOEWE Programm
Nano Satellites
- Development & Production of Power Supply and Control Unit for Nano Thruster Engines <100nN in cooperation with UniBwM (University of the Bundeswehr Munich)
Heritage – RFG Radio Frequency Generators – various RIT Thruster
Baseline of Design: Reference Project Artemis (RITA−10) RFG150
Cooperation & research projects with ArianeGroup & University of Gießen since 2000.
Different RFG Radio Frequency Generators were developed and produced over last 20 years, with continuous improvements,
- RFG power from 40W to 900W – 1000W – 1400W
- for RIT Ion Thruster Engines from 40µN…240mN…280mN.
- for RIT thruster diameters of 2.5cm to 22cm …28cm.
List of RFG units since 20 years:
- Actual RFG-1000W EIS for RIT−2x (Boeing) – in preparation of Testing Flight Models FM#01-#016
- Actual RFG-1000W MSR-ERO for RIT−2x (ESA Mars Mission) – in preparation of Testing Flight Models FM#01-#08
- Actual RFG-1000W SPIN for RIT−2x (THALES Alenia) – FM Series in contractual phase for 28 Units (and in near future many more)
- Actual RFG-1000W SPIN for RIT−2x (THALES Alenia). Re-Design EQSR-Phase finished, EM#01/ QM#02.
- Actual RFG-1000W for RIT−2x (ESA MSR-ERO) – Re-Design EQSR-Phase finished, EQM#06A / EQM#06B / QM#07
- Actual RFG-1000W for RIT−2x (Boeing) – finished Qualification & Models EM#01/EM#02/EM#03, EQM#04 & EQM#05A / EQM#05B)
- Actual RFG-60W-EVO-ADV (ESA-ESTEC) Engineering Model EM#02 (optimized Version of MRGAN) – actual development & re-design and hardware phase ongoing in 2021/2022/2023
- RFG-900W for RIT−22 Demonstrator Models DM#01+DM#02 (operating for more than 10,000 h)
- RFG-600W for RIT-15 Engineering Model
- RFG-250W for RIT-17 Engineering Model
- RFG-350W for RIT-17 Engineering Model
- RFG-200W for RIT-10 Engineering Model
- RFG-150W for Artemis RITA-10 (Initial Heritage Program of Astrium with participation of APCON)
- RFG-120W for RIT-7 Engineering Model
- RFG-60W-LPF-ADV Engineering Models EM#01 + EM#02 for RIT-4 (Lisa Pathfinder – Rebuild and Advanced Version)
- RFG-60W-MRGAN Engineering Model EM#01 (miniaturized Version of Lisa Pathfinder ADV)
- RFG-60W RIT-3.5 Engineering Model (RIT-SAT – LOEWE Program)
- Power Supply PSCU Engineering Model for RFG-60W of RIT-3.5 (RIT-SAT – LOEWE Program)
- RFG-40W for RIT-2.5
- NTR_RFG-40W for Neutralizer µRIT
- RF-Neutralizer (quasi inverse RFG unit) for RIT-Power-System
- Beam Current Control Unit (PDR BepiColombo) – Development Designs & Hardware
- Power Supply RFG-PSCU for RFG-60
- Development Designs – High Voltage Power Supply PHV+NHV
