According to the general director of the center. Keldysh, xenon is used because in orbit the cost of a kilogram of xenon is very close to the cost of a kilogram of conventional " air"
MOSCOW, March 19. /TASS/. The Keldysh Research Center (part of Roscosmos) plans to study the use of an alternative to xenon in ion engines. This was reported to TASS by the general director of the enterprise Vladimir Koshlakov.
"We are now planning to study the use of alternative working bodies to xenon, in the near future they are not in demand on board our spacecraft," Koshlakov said.
According to the general director of the center, xenon is used because in orbit the cost of a kilogram of xenon is very close to the cost of a kilogram of conventional "air" (taking into account the cost of putting this kilogram into orbit). Moreover, xenon is very well stored for a long time, providing the best efficiency of solving problems with the spacecraft propulsion system.
"As for the amount of gas - it is a question of each specific task and mission," - said Koshlakov.
As an example, he cited the ID-200KR engine, designed to correct the orbits of geostationary vehicles. Its power is 3 kW, and the consumption is 2 mg / s. " With a planned resource of 10,000 hours, which is equivalent to more than one year of continuous operation, one engine can consume about 70 kg of xenon," added the general director of the enterprise.
The cost of one engine will depend on its parameters. "To name the cost of products for specific customer requirements does not allow the conditions of preserving commercial secrets, but it is openly published that the cost of two correction units based on an ion engine for subsequent autonomous tests, according to the state procurement website, was 26 million 605 thousand rubles in 2019," Koshlakov said.
Ion engines
An ion engine is a type of electric rocket engine. It is a particle accelerator in which the processes of ionization and acceleration are separated, which makes it possible to achieve high flow rates of the working fluid and an effective conversion of electrical power into the kinetic energy of the jet, but the thrust density is limited.
Earlier, the Center of Keldysh told TASS that the company has created products with a power of 200 watts to 35 kW. At the moment, their resource characteristics are being confirmed. A preliminary study of the creation of a 100 kW engine is also underway. Flight tests of the new Russian ion engines are planned for 2025-2030.
