{"72318":{"#nid":"72318","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Engine Helps Satellites Blast Off With Less Fuel","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed a new protoype engine that allows satellites to take off with less fuel, opening the door for deep space missions, lower launch costs and more payload in orbit.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe efficient satellite engine uses up to 40 percent less fuel by running on solar power while in space and by fine-tuning exhaust velocity. Satellites using the Georgia Tech engine to blast off can carry more payload thanks to the mass freed up by the smaller amount of fuel needed for the trip into orbit. Or, if engineers wanted to use the reduced fuel load another way, the satellite could be launched more cheaply by using a smaller launch vehicle.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe fuel-efficiency improvements could also give satellites expanded capabilities, such as more maneuverability once in orbit or the ability to serve as a refueling or towing vehicle.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech project, lead by Dr. Mitchell Walker, an assistant professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, was funded by a grant from the U.S. Air Force. The project team made significant experimental modifications to one of five donated satellite engines from aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt \u0026amp; Whitney to create the final prototype.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe key to the engine improvements, said Walker, is the ability to optimize the use of available power, very similar to the transmission in a car. A traditional chemical rocket engine (attached to a satellite ready for launch) runs at maximum exhaust velocity until it reaches orbit, i.e. first gear.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new Georgia Tech engine allows ground control units to adjust the engine\u0027s operating gear based on the immediate propulsive need of the satellite. The engine operates in first gear to maximize acceleration during orbit transfers and then shifts to fifth gear once in the desired orbit. This allows the engine to burn at full capacity only during key moments and conserve fuel.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022You can really tailor the exhaust velocity to what you need from the ground,\u0022 Walker said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech engine operates with an efficient ion propulsion system. Xenon (a noble gas) atoms are injected into the discharge chamber. The atoms are ionized, (electrons are stripped from their outer shell), which forms xenon ions. The light electrons are constrained by the magnetic field while the heavy ions are accelerated out into space by an electric field, propelling the satellite to high speeds.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETech\u0027s significant improvement to existing xenon propulsion systems is a new electric and magnetic field design that helps better control the exhaust particles, Walker said. Ground control units can then exercise this control remotely to conserve fuel.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe satellite engine is almost ready for military applications, but may be several years away from commercial use, Walker added.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Engine lets satellites take more hardware into orbit, reposition more easily"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have a created a new satellite technology that allows satellites to blast off with less fuel, opening the door for deep space missions, lower launch costs and more hardware on board.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Savings allow deep space missions, cheaper launch"}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2007-02-22 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:37","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2007-02-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2007-02-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72319":{"id":"72319","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech engine","body":null,"created":"1449177454","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:34","changed":"1475894656","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:16"},"72320":{"id":"72320","type":"image","title":"Mitchell Walker","body":null,"created":"1449177454","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:34","changed":"1475894656","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:16"}},"media_ids":["72319","72320"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ae.gatech.edu\/people\/mwalker\/","title":"Dr. Mitchell Walker"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ae.gatech.edu\/","title":"Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1325","name":"aerospace"},{"id":"2479","name":"deep space mission"},{"id":"516","name":"engineering"},{"id":"246","name":"Georgia Institute of Technology"},{"id":"2474","name":"Mitchell Walker"},{"id":"169609","name":"satellite"},{"id":"169608","name":"satellites"},{"id":"167589","name":"School of Aerospace Engineering"},{"id":"2478","name":"U.S. Air Force"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ELisa Grovenstein\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=lgrovenste3\u0022\u003EContact Lisa Grovenstein\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-8835\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lisa.grovenstein@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}