” argon Hall thrusters are an innovative piece of technology that will help power the Starlink V2 mini satellites, one of SpaceX’s many innovations acquired from Swarm Technologies in 2021.” This statement is significant because it shows that SpaceX is constantly trying to improve upon its products, as well as its methods of operation. Not only does this help them stay competitive, but it also ensures that their customers receive the best possible service.
SpaceX’s acquisition of Swarm continued a recent trend for the company: investing in young, start-up companies. While it may have been unusual for SpaceX to make this type of purchase at the time, it was evidently an important decision given swarm’s relative youth and its prodigious capabilities in space technology.
SpaceX has always been known for their innovative space technology, and they have had to rely mostly on internal talent to bring their products to market. However, with the recent acquisition of Swarm Technologies, SpaceX has gained a team of highly skilled engineers who are well-equipped to help them continue developing cutting-edge space technology.
Saras Spangelo and Benjamin Longmier have a significant history at SpaceX. They both work on the company’s satellite engineering team, which is responsible for designing and building SpaceX’s satellites. However, Longmier also leads Starlink’s electric propulsion group, which is in charge of developing the new argon Hall thrusters that were announced this week. The objective of these thrusters is to provide increased thrust and faster acceleration forStarlink’s satellite constellation. This announcement shows that SpaceX remains committed to strengthing its partnership with Starlink and helping it bring ubiquitous satellite connectivity to smartphones around the world.
Hall thrusters may be new to the spacecraft world, but they have been in use for decades on satellites. This propulsion technology uses a magnetic field to ionize a propellant and create plasma. Hall thrusters are used throughout the lifetime of a satellite, to adjust its attitude, avoid collisions with other objects, or de-orbit at the end of its lifespan.
Argon is a much cheaper propellant than xenon or krypton, making it a potential choice for future Hall thrusters. Additionally, argon is abundant enough that it could be used in numerous spacecraft designs.
SpaceX is continuing to overhaul its Starlink spacecraft by introducing new thrusters that are said to generate 2.4 times the thrust and 1.5 times the specific impulse (a measure of how efficiently the unit uses propellant) than previous units. While the transition to argon was tricky, it will ultimately enable SpaceX to build even more efficient spacecraft that can carry greater payloads into orbit.
Overall, it’s clear that Mr. Longmier has a lot of experience and knowledge in the field of electric propulsion systems, and it’s likely that he will play an important role in SpaceX’s quest to become a major player in the space industry.
