Abstract
There is currently a gap in the market for a low cost Electric Propulsion solution for small spacecraft. The 200W Quad Confinement Thruster (QCT-200) has the potential to fill this gap, allowing small satellites to become much more capable in terms of propulsion whilst maintaining a price point which is acceptable to customers. The device fits well with the current SSTL philosophy, and the existing SSTL xenon feed system can be simply adapted to allow the QCT-200 to effectively be a bolt on module. Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL), the Surrey Space Centre (SSC), and Airbus Defense and Space (AD&S) have been working on a flight standard design of the device. This paper discusses the short history of the QCT-200, the operational principle of the device, and the industrialisation of the device from its experimental origins. Finally the application of the QCT-200 in to a current spacecraft for in-orbit performance demonstration in 2016 is then related along with the mission scenarios enabled by the device.