PPS

®

1350

STATIONARY PLASMA
THRUSTER

SPACE PROPULSION

SPACE PROPULSION

PPS

®

1350

STATIONARY PLASMA
THRUSTER

The PPS

®

1350 stationary plasma thruster is

designed for orbit control and orbital transfer of
satellites and spacecraft.

It generates extremely high specific impulse,
which means significant weight savings over
conventional chemical propulsion for all types of
satellite platforms. In addition, the PPS

®

1350

offers an excellent thrust to electrical power
ratio, which enables limiting pulse lengths, or
reducing the total number of thrusters. 

The PPS

®

1350 generates thrust by ejecting

xenon ions at very high speed; these ions are
accelerated in an electric field and confined in
an electromagnetic field. A xenon flow control
system comes with the thruster.

The PPS

®

1350 plasma thruster has amply proven

its mettle by propelling ESA’s SMART-1 probe
from the Earth into orbit around the Moon.
During this mission, it logged some 5,000 hours
of operation – a triple world record! 

The PPS

®

1350 is the first plasma thruster to be

used as the main propulsion system on a space
probe; it operated continuously for 260 hours at
one time; and it is the engine having logged the
longest cumulated operating time in space.

Snecma: 10, allée du Brévent - CE1420 Courcouronnes - 91019 Evry Cedex - France
Tel.: 33 (0)1 69 87 09 00 - Fax: 33 (0)1 69 87 09 02 

www.snecma.com

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DESCRIPTION

•

Stable operation over a wide power range: 

1,200 to 1,600 W.

•

Low startup power. 

•

Proven performance at extreme temperatures, 

from -45°C to +160°C. 

•

Reduced beam divergence (40°). 

•

Ions leaving the thruster are neutralized to avoid

transferring an electric charge to the satellite.

Simulated altitude test

FEATURES

• Power (nominal) (W)

1,500 

• Thrust (mN)

88

• Specific impulse (s)

1,650 

• Total impulse delivered (N.s) 

3.10

6

• Number of cycles 

8,200 

• Discharge current (A) 

4.28 

• Efficiency (%)

55

• Supply voltage (V)

350

• Xenon feed pressure (bar)

2.50 à 2.80

• Xenon class

high purity

• Mass 

(including 2 Xe flow control systems)

(kg) 

5.30 

Cathode

125 mm m

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5

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Cathode 2

Cathode 1

Anode