The iFACT-MP project, which stands for iodine Fed Advanced Cusp field Thruster for Mid-Power, is a new 24-month EU-funded project that aims to strengthen and establish Europe’s predominant position in iodine EP and its mission is to develop an iodine fed thruster subsystem for the 3-5 kW range and work on all the critical building blocks required to enable the realization of an iodine EP subsystem.

The project team focuses on developing a reliable iodine-fed thruster within the 3-5 kW range. The Consortium team is concentrating on essential components such as the Advanced Cusp Field Thruster (ACFT), the fluid system (which includes a heated iodine reservoir and thruster control), and the neutralizer. The objective is to upscale the ACFT and create the required fluidic components to establish a functional iodine Electric Propulsion (EP) subsystem. To accomplish this, the team is improving C12A7 emitter ceramics for the iodine-fed neutralizer and constructing a breadboard Power Processing Unit (PPU) for control testing. Furthermore, they are working on an optical iodine flow meter for precise performance evaluation. Given the challenge of lacking a suitable test facility for this power level, the team is designing an appropriate iodine-compatible vacuum chamber with a thrust balance for testing purposes. This facility will assist in holding a thorough 500-hour endurance test of the thruster subsystem. To ensure the project's success, the team will effectively handle public relations, communication, and dissemination activities.

The project was launched with a kick-off meeting on January 15th & 16th 2024, held at the Airbus Defence and Space grounds located in Friedrichshafen, Germany, with the participation of our 6 partners representing the aerospace industry, academia, research, and aeronautical associations.

Currently, as we approach the end of the first semester, the consortium team has participated in two progress meetings and has devised strategies for the PDR and CDR. 

For more information and regular updates regarding the iFACT-MP project, we invite you to visit the project’s official website and social media page on LinkedIn.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HADEA. Neither the European Union nor HADEA can be held responsible for them.