This episode includes a conversation with Adi Khuller, Joe Mayer, and Omar Alavi on the design and implementation of Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (PPTs) and how these can be integrated into CubeSats, specifically. Adi, Omar, and Joe were the core of a group of people who designed and prototyped a state-of-the-art PPT system for CubeSats during their undergrad at ASU. Their PPT was developed entirely by student-driven efforts and limited student organization funding.

In this conversation we’ll talk about how PPTs work, how they’re designed for CubeSats, and the challenges that come with designing and testing a system like this - particularly in a university setting. In addition, we will also go into how the design changed over time, their collaboration with JPL on the project, and glorious war stories from their experience.

AIAA Paper on their PPT Design (2018)

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326263217_Pulsed_Plasma_Thruster_for_Multi-Axis_CubeSat_Attitude_Control_Applications

Timestamps:

0:00 - Episode Intro

5:35 - Witty banter; Adi, Omar, and Joe introduce themselves

12:42 - What is a PPT and how is it designed?

18:17 - Interfacing with attitude control systems

19:16 - PPT design (mechanisms & general design description)

21:00 - Some prototyping & design challenges

24:08 - Design challenges specific to making a PPT for CubeSats

29:06 - The challenges of testing & working with vacuum chambers as a student org

44:06 - Design requirements & where these came from

51:05 - How the design changed over time

54:40 - Some war stories

59:07 - Securing funding as a student org

1:12:00 - Securing industry partnerships

1:20:11 - Lessons learned from working on PPT

1:28:49 - Favorite memories from PPT

1:40:14 - Episode outro