Undertaken as part of an Aerospace graduate class at MIT, this project focused on the implementation of an “air-breathing” Hall Effect Thruster that could operate using ambient gas in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO).
The project required mechanical design work, simulation of different magnetic field configurations in COMSOL multiphysics, sourcing of components and finally the build and test of the device.
The device was tested in MIT Space Propulsion Lab’s large AstroVac chamber and its performance characterized using a variety of investigative techniques.
