Turkey's First Electric Propulsion System Developed in the Very First Electric Propulsion Laboratory: TUBITAK UZAY's HALE Project Outcome

Due to significant advantages and successful applications, electric propulsion has become a key technology for both scientific and commercial space missions. Nowadays, almost every satellite is equipped with an electrical propulsion subsystem for the purposes of orbit transfer, orbit correction, collision avoidance, and performing stating-keeping maneuvers. Considering these advances in space propulsion technology, TUBITAK UZAY initiated a project to establish an electric propulsion test facility and develop a Hall thruster propulsion system (HALE Project). The project was started in 2010, funded by Turkish Ministry of Development and completed by the end of 2018. In the scope of the project, Turkey's first laboratory model electric propulsion system has been developed in Turkey's very first electric propulsion laboratory. In this paper, the project activities are summarized and outcomes are presented.