Russia’s KBKhA Completes Test Series on Ion Engine
VORONEZH, Russia (Roscosmos PR) — The Chemical Automatics Design Bureau (KBKhA) in Voronezh has successfully completed the first series of test firings of an ion electric propulsion motor. This engine was jointly developed by KBKhA and the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI). Tests were carried out successfully on a special vacuum stand and confirmed compliance with parameters of the engine characteristics laid out in the specifications.
Work with the engine continues: planned a new series of test firings for production resources, and tests of the stability of proven performance in continuous operation.
The creation of electric rocket engines was started in the company in 2012. Development of electric propulsion team started after KBKhA won a 2013 competition of the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Education and Science to receive subsidies for the realization of complex projects for the organization of high-tech production. The company was among the winners of the project, “Creation of high-tech production and testing base for the development, Metal processing and industrial production of the new generation of electric propulsion.”
The purpose of state support is the development of cooperation of industrial enterprises, Russian higher education institutions and public research institutions. This is why each selected project has two performers: in particular, the creative partner KBKhA and the Institute of Applied Mechanics and Electrodynamics of MAI.
In contrast to liquid-propellant rocket engines, which KBKhA specialists have developed for more than half a century, electro-rocket engines have become a new focus of work at the enterprise in recent years. Designed for use in spacecraft, they can help to solve a wide range of tasks: the correction and stabilization of working orbit satellites, their movement from low to high orbit, as well as the implementation of operations in deep space.
7 responses to “Russia’s KBKhA Completes Test Series on Ion Engine”
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One big difference between America and others is that we start projects and will kill them off early as opposed to allowing tech pieces to be finished up. X33 comes quickly to mind. W’s admin killed it, and then in particular, blocked any further work on the engines. Killing off X-33 was understandable, but, it really made good sense to finish the engine testing along with the innovative skin.
Interestingly, they DID solve the H2 tank issue, but that was without funding from W’s admin. Basically, it was done under the table since Cheney was adamant that X-33 never even be considered possible. Apparently, he was furious about Clinton’s killing off the Texas ring that his company had already made billions off.
Yup. And then Obama killed off W’s Constellation program…and the beat goes on…(I’m sure hoping that these COTS and commercial enterprises will put an end to much of this nonsense.)
That is EXACTLY why I am such a fan of COTs and having NASA help any group of companies out so that they own the tech.
For example, I am hopeful that NASA will support Bigelow along with ILC Dover in their pursuit of inflatable space stations. We need these.
Works for me. But I notice that ILC Dover isn’t part of the NEXTSTEP competition. Have you seen any reason why they’re not?
If you go look at nextstep, they are focused on items that nobody else is, or is very critical. For example, a real shower like what our old space station skylab had.
But, if ILC dover puts a bit of work into this, I suspect that NASA will pick them up for various things. Right now, NASA’s goal is to create an industry base for themselves in which CONgress can not foul up anymore.
What a thin PR. What are the specifications of the engine?
Ion Engines aren’t really exciting any more these days, unless they are high power ones.
If they are talking about VChID series (which is being developed by them) and not some kind of a smaller scale prototype, they are high power ones indeed. The smallest one should belong to 30KW range and possibly can be evolved to 70-100KW models according to specs. VChID and ID-VM are two high power competitors for the TEM nuclear propulsion module which is currently being developed. (mostly by Rosatom, I doubt Roscosmos is able to meet the requirements, they already failed to meet the deadline on their droplet radiators).