(Germany)
Tests and scientific support at
thruster level
The Justus-Liebig University of Giessen is the second largest university of the federal state of Hesse (about 28.000 students). It covers the complete spectrum of subjects including all-natural sciences, social sciences, law, and medicine. In the field of space physics, JLU cooperates intensively with its partner institution, the University of Applied Sciences in Giessen (THM), by providing joint BSc/MSc study programs “Physics and Technology of Space Applications” and in joint research projects in the framework of the Research Campus of Central Hesse. Together JLU and THM cover expertise in space electronics, modelling of thrusters (including EMC); and in EP testing. JLU operates several vacuum test facilities including the full scale 30 m3 JUMBO vacuum facility operated at JLU is suitable for testing large thrusters such as Ariane Group’s RIT 2X, but also smaller test facilities such as the BigMac EVO which can accommodate low power thrusters, e.g., RIT-10G, for testing. Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) as well as Fluidic Ground Support Equipment (FGSE) is readily available. Various diagnostic systems are installed for plasma and plume characterization.
Partner's expertise and competences within this project
- Modelling of thrusters
- Thruster tests within vacuum test facilities
Professionals
Prof. Peter Klar
Director of Institute of Experimental Physics I, Professor, Head of the EP group
Head of both the Electric Propulsion Group and the Micro and Nanostructure Physics Group at JLU, Head of the Institute of Experimental Physics I., previously Coordinator of the RITSAT project (2012-2015). He took over operations of the Electric Propulsion Group, headed then by Prof. Bruno Meyer, in 2012 and formally took responsibility as the group’s leader in 2014. He was a member of the organizing committee of the International Electric Propulsion Conference 2011 in Wiesbaden, Germany and co-chair of the Russian-German Conference on Electric Propulsion 2018 in Giessen. He is also Vice-Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Materials Research ZfM/LaMa of JLU. He (co)authored about 250 publications in the field of solid-state physics and electric propulsion and is expert in material processing topics with an international reputation.
Dr. Kristof Holste
Senior Scientist, PhD, laboratory management
Senior scientist (permanent position), operations manager of the Electric Propulsion Group. He graduated from JLU in 2006 and obtained his PhD in Physics there in 2012. He is an expert in electron and ion-beam diagnostics, development of particle sources and electron spectroscopy. An atomic physicist by training, he joined the electric propulsion project RITSAT in 2012 working on the physics of the plasma plume, developing an ion-beam diagnostic system facilitating emittance measurements for assessing beam quality. He took over operations of the EP Group in 2014. He (co)authored more than 40 publications in the field of electric propulsion and atomic physics and was organizer of the Russian-German Conference on Electric Propulsion 2018 in Giessen.
Konstantin Keil
Doctoral student
Doctoral student in the Electric Propulsion Group at JLU. During his
physics studies, he worked both experimentally and simulatively on
radio-frequency ion thrusters, with particular emphasis on thrust
balance measurements and global plasma models. He graduated in 2021 and
is now mainly involved in the modeling of grid erosion.