| Abstract: | Electrospray propulsion is a kind of micro power electric propulsion with the merits of high specific impulse, high efficiency, fast ignition and high integrity. It is very suitable for the orbit transfer, station keeping missions of micro/nano satellites, and high precision attitude control, drag-free control missions of large spacecraft such as gravitational wave observatories. The concept of electrospray propulsion technology was formed in 1960. After a tortuous development process, driven by significant advances in micromanufacturing, new materials, ionic liquids and high-performance power supplies, the foreign electrospray propulsion technology has made great progress and reached the level of space application since the 1990s. The research of electrospray propulsion technology in United States, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom is more in-depth, and among which the United States has the largest investment, the most significant innovation, the most abundant results. MIT proposed and carried out research on iEPS series electrospray thruster chips, which is conducive to realizing high specific impulse and batch production. In recent years, it has mainly carried out research on thrust density and reliability improvement. Busek Company mainly develops high thrust and wide adjustable electrospray propulsion. Missouri University of Science and Technology proposed and carried out the research of chemical-electric dual-mode micro-propulsion technology with chemical propulsion mode and electrospray propulsion mode based on an energetic liquid propellant. Michigan Technological University proposed a fluid forming emitter based ferrofluid electrospray propulsion technology. Based on the study of the development process and latest progress of electrospray propulsion in foreign countries, this paper puts forward the development trend of electrosprayt propulsion and some suggestions for the domestic electrospray propulsion development. |
