Development and Calibration of a Variable Range Stand for Testing Space Micropropulsion Thrusters

Microthrusters are used for microsatellites to provide precise motion control in space by applying very low thrust pulses, which must be properly calibrated on earth. The range of thrust levels required varies from one thruster to another, depending on its use. Thus, microthrusts that stand capable of reading thrusts of multiple ranges, depending on the configuration, are in demand. This paper discusses the features and the calibration method for a typical miniaturized thrust stand. This device is essentially a torsional pendulum whose sensitivity can be varied. As a source of torsion, a piece of wire is used. For the purpose of this paper, the thrust stand was configured to achieve a micro-Newton resolution.