Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Committee Chair
Nicholas Ginga
Committee Member
Kunning G. Xu
Committee Member
Judith Schneider
Research Advisor
Nicholas Ginga
Subject(s)
Space vehicles--Electric propulsion systems, Space vehicles--Materials, Ion rockets, Krypton
Abstract
In the field of electric propulsion (EP), xenon is the most commonly used gas for ionization. However, krypton has been identified as a potential substitute due to its high specific impulse and low cost compared to xenon. Therefore, there is a desire to understand the effects of using krypton. In EP, sputtering of spacecraft materials downstream of the ion engines have proven to be an issue during long duration missions. This research observes how krypton ions sputter a variety of spacecraft materials (anodized aluminum, glass, BN ceramic, and Kapton). The experiments in this study subject materials to different sputtering variables including the angle of incidence of ions with the test material, sputtering time, and voltage of the far field effect that the sample is subject to. These variables affect the total sputter yield and differential sputter yield which can be determined through experimental analysis techniques.
Recommended Citation
Cummins, Ethan, "Characterization of krypton ion sputtering of spacecraft materials using electric propulsion" (2026). Theses. 831.
https://louis.uah.edu/uah-theses/831