In January 1998, Mr. Gordie Lange, assistant division manager and chief engineer for Torrance based Hughes Electron Dynamics Division unveiled the company¹s newest addition to the XIPS (Xenon Ion Propulsion System) testing program (pronounced "zips"). Affectionately known as "Big Bertha" the chamber is 40 feet long and 20 feet in diameter and is fitted with thirty (48") cryopumps, which allows the chamber to pump at the rate of 1 million liters per second. "Big Bertha" (weighing 200,100 pounds) is one of only three in the world and is the only one in her class in the United States.

"Big Bertha" was designed and fabricated locally by Howard Fabrication, Inc. and is the latest of six XIPSchambers fabricated for Hughes by Howard.

"Big Berthas¹ (5) little sisters are a mere 16 feet long and nine feet in diameter powered by ten (48") cryopumps. Hughes currently has two qualification thrusters in life test, the first was built in 1995 and has demonstrated more than 8350 hours of continuous operation. The second was built in 1996, and it has demonstrated more than 5700 hours. On a satellite in space, a thruster operates about 1,300 hours per year."

History
Hughes has been investigating the use of ion propulsion since the early 1960¹s. Early research focused on the gas Cesium, which was later discarded due to its corrosive nature. Mercury was then used, but was later rejected because of its environmental impacts.

In 1984, Hughes Research Laboratories, a unit of Hughes Electronics Corporation, began investigating the use of Xenon and found that it offered the highest thrust of all the inert, non-reactive gases. And, because it is an inert gas, it is neither corrosive nor explosive, and therefore does not pose a risk to the life of the satellite or a safety hazard to personnel loading the Xenon propellant tanks.

In 1992 Hughes Space and Communications Company committed to the XIPS technology, identifying it as the basis for next generation satellites. The initial design work was done by Hughes Research Laboratories with the XIPS production being done at Hughes Electron Dynamics Division in Torrance, California.

On October 6th, 1997, history was made with the successful activation of three Xenon powered thrusters on the PanAmSat¹s PAS-5 communication satellite launched August 27th, 1997.

Technology
While most current satellites use a chemical bipropellant propulsion system, a XIPS-equipped satellite instead uses the impulse generated by a thruster ejecting electrically charged particles at high velocities. XIPS requires only one propellant, xenon, and does its stationkeeping job using a fraction of that required by a chemical propellant system. XIPS makes it possible to reduce propellant mass by up to 90% in a satellite designed for 12 to 15 years of operation. Less propellant results in reduced cost for launch, an increase in payload, or an increase in satellite lifetime, or any combination of these factors.

The on-board XIPS system is used primarily for spacecraft north-south stationkeeping. Small thrusts are required to correct for the tug of solar or lunar gravity and to reposition the satellite in its proper orbit and altitude. A satellite¹s lifetime‹as well as its launch weight‹is thus determined by the amount of fuel aboard for its thruster system. The 25-centimeter thruster is also capable of being used for orbit raising. Chemical propellant is used to place the satellite into a supersynchronous elliptical transfer orbit, and pre-programmed XIPSmaneuvers are used to circularize the orbit and position the satellite in its final orbit. Thrust is created by accelerating positive xenon ions through a series of gridded electrodes at one end of the thrust chamber. Ions ejected by the Hughes-designed XIPStravel in an invisible stream at a speed of 62,900 miles per hour, nearly 10 times that of its chemical counterpart.

Current Status Hughes has delivered a 30-centimeter XIPS thruster to NASA for use on the New Millennium program¹s Deep Space 1 spacecraft scheduled for launch in July, 1998. The first 25-centimeter XIPSsystem is scheduled for launch this year on Hughes¹ first HS 702 satellite. A 13-centimeter version is also available for use on the HS 601HP (high-power" satellite model.

"Because of this new technology, Hughes is able to offer its customers a variety of capabilities which are not possible with traditional chemical bipropellant systems" said Donald L. Cromer, President Hughes Space and Communications Company. "We are proud to be the first to market, we are committed to the technology, and we believe XIPS is the key to our continued market leadership."