MEMS in Space

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MEMS in Space

• Jan H. Hales
• jhh_at_mic.dtu.dk
• MIC Department of Micro and Nanotechnology
• Technical University of Denmark, DTU
• Space Technology Education Conference 2005
• Session 7 ACDS and Orbit Control 2

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Micro Electro Mechanical System MEMS

• Integration of devices on micrometer scale based
  on IC batch processing

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Space Relevance

• Enhanced device performance by down-scaling
• Low mass and power consumption
• Robustness and redundancy
• Batch production reducing device cost

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Space Applications

• Sensors/detectors
• Sun sensor
• Magnetometer
• Particle/radiation detector
• Actuators
• Thrusters/micro valves
• Reaction wheels
• Magnetotorquers
• Micro valves
• Communication devices
• Optical
• RF
• Other
• Thermal control
• Lab-on-a-Chip

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Projects at MIC

• Sun Sensor
• Electron Emitter
• Ion Thruster
• Nano Environment Monitoring Unit
• (NEMU)

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Sun Sensor

• Two-Axis Triagular Slit Sensor
• FOV 70 (gt55), resolutionlt0.1
• PCB size 39mm ? 50mm
• Sub System Mass 7.1g
• Power act./standby 10mA/65µA

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Sun Sensor on SSETI
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Electron Emitter
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Electric Propulsion

• Electro thermal
• Electromagnetic
• Electrostatic
• Field Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP)

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Ion Thruster - FEEP
Rh

• Design Goals
• 100 times better than comparable thrusters
• 1cm2 chip producing 1mN of thrust with a
  resolution of 3.9µN
• Integrated neutralizer
• Applications
• Charge control
• Station keeping
• Fine pointing - formation flying
• Main propulsion system

de
Va
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Ion Thruster - FEEP
200µm
200µm
8µm
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Outlook

• Obtain a larger student involvement
• Better packaged sun sensor
• Fabrication of final batch of e-emitters
• Optimised version of Ion thruster
• Initiation of the NEMU project

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MEMS in Space

• Thank you for your attention
• Any questions?