Groundbreaking Â鶹ֱ²¥ technology will soon be powering interplanetary missions to the moon and beyond, after one of its brightest young minds caught the attention of a leading international space research institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier this year, PhD candidate Daniel Turner completed an internship in Germany working at the renowned German Aerospace Center<\/a> (DLR) to develop propulsion systems for spacecraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 24-year-old recognised the technology of DLR spinoff ISP Tech<\/a> and his own thruster design were a perfect fit for each other \u2014 so much so, ISP Tech and Curtin\u2019s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences<\/a> have partnered to develop the tech for several exciting upcoming projects which will be crucial in enhancing the possibilities of what can be achieved in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This includes Curtin Space Science and Technology Centre<\/a>\u2019s (SSTC) upcoming Binar<\/a> Prospector mission later this decade, which will use a small box-shaped spacecraft known as \u2018cubesat\u2019 roughly the size of two large cereal boxes, to survey the surface of the moon to identify lunar resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By integrating Binar\u2019s thrusters into ISP Tech\u2019s systems, it will be the first time Australian designed and manufactured spacecraft thrusters have left Earth\u2019s orbit and ventured into deep space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr Turner said ISP Tech\u2019s technology has unrivalled capabilities and the partnership with Curtin will help produce what he describes as the \u201cbest cubesat propulsion system of its kind in the world\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe quantify propulsion systems by how much they can change a spacecraft\u2019s velocity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis system can increase our spacecraft velocity by over 700km\/h, yet it could easily fit on a shelf in your pantry at home, which is very impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr Turner said the system\u2019s benefits went beyond its propulsion capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s also very resilient, as it can cope with multiple failures and still deliver on a mission,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt can also run on cheap fuels and keeps weight down; the Binar\/ISP Tech propulsion system, for example, is almost twice the size of the propulsion system used on a recent spacecraft mission but is 30 per cent lighter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n ISP Tech chief executive officer Dr Lukas Werling said the company\u2019s HyNOx propulsion system uses green propellants (nitrous oxide and ethane) to offer unprecedented performance for small spacecraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cISP Tech builds on more than 10 years of research and development activities at DLR regarding in-space propulsion, and will support Binar\u2019s mission with green, reliable, high-performance and low-cost propulsion technology,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n