POWER PROCESSING UNIT ACTIVITIES AT THALES ALENIA SPACE BELGIUM

Since 1996, Thales Alenia Space Belgium (ETCA)
designs, develops and produces Power Processing Unit
(PPU) to supply Hall Effect Thrusters: SPT-100 from
Fakel and PPS1350-G from Snecma. The first
qualification model, developed for the 50V bus Stentor
program, has supplied during 8900 hours an SPT-100
thruster in a vacuum chamber simulating space
environment. Qualified for the Spacebus 4000 platform,
with a 100V regulated bus, the SB4000 PPU and Filter
Unit EQM have cumulated 6300 hours ground operation
with a PPS1350-G thruster.
Twenty three PPU flight models were delivered for the
Stentor, Astra-1K, Smart-1, Intelsat, Inmarsat, Eutelsat,
Yahsat and DirecTV satellites. In October 2005, the
Smart-1 spacecraft reached the Moon after 4958 hours
of cumulated operation of the PPU with PPS1350-G
thruster. Fourteen PPU’s currently in flight for North
South Station Keeping on seven telecom satellites have
cumulated more than 24100 hours flight operation.
Following the selection of the PPS1350-G as baseline
thruster for the AlphaBus platform, the Alphabus PPU
was developed and two flight models were delivered for
AlphaSat. Launched in July 2013, they have cumulated
350 hours operation.
On the SmallGEO platform, one EPTA (Electric
Propulsion Thruster Assembly) branch has to drive one
out of four SPT-100 thrusters. As the PPU drives one
out of two thrusters, TAS-B (ETCA) has developed and
qualified an External Thruster Selection Unit (ETSU) to
be associated to a PPU. Two flight sets (PPU+ETSU)
were delivered for SmallGEO.
In order to propose a more competitive product TAS-B
(ETCA) has developed the new generation of PPU,
called PPU Mk2, dedicated to Hall Effect Thrusters up
to 2.5kW. The qualification phase is ending with the
Qualification Test Review Board successfully hold in
April 2014 and the final Qualification Review planned
in June 2014. Twelve PPU Mk2 flight models are
already ordered by two customers. In response to the
market demand to use Electrical Propulsion for Orbit
Raising, TAS-B (ETCA) has started the development of
the PPU Mk3 dedicated to 5kW Hall Effect Thrusters.
This paper presents an overview of the Power
Processing Unit activities at TAS-B (ETCA), including
flight heritage, PPU Mk2 qualification and the
development of PPU Mk3.