Space

From vision… to revolution in SmallSat propulsion & more

In the late 2000’s, Flight Works pioneered the idea of providing CubeSats and Nanosats with significant propulsion capability. Today, we provide spaceflight-proven game-changing micropump -based solutions for smallsat propulsion and more…

At the time, CubeSats and Nanosats were a curiosity, mostly the subject of interest for graduate students at a few universities. Today, they have evolved into an industry and are revolutionizing how we operate in space, creating new businesses and opportunities not even imaginable until a few years ago. But until recently, they lacked a key capability enabled by micropumps: significant propulsion for agile, responsive missions.

A decade of space pump R&D - milestones

Lunar Space Pump

2012 — Flight Works conducts the first micropump-fed hot fire test of a 1 lbf hydrazine thruster at Aerojet Rocketdyne, Redmond2012 — Flight Works conducts the first tests with NTO (MON-3)

2018 — Flight Works conducts hot fire test of 200 lbf-class MON-25-MMH thruster

2020 — First deliveries of spaceflight micropumps for several propulsion systems

2022 — Flight Works pumps power NASA Lunar Flashlight (ASCENT) and NASA CAPSTONE (hydrazine)

2023 — First deliveries of radiation-tolerant brushless motor controller and miniature solenoid valves

Robust, High-Performance Space Micropumps

Applications

  • Propulsion
  • Refueling
  • Cooling…

Compatible with numerous propellants and other fluids:

  • Compatible with numerous propellants and other fluids“Green” propellants: ASCENT (AF-M315E) & HPGP (LMP-103S)
  • Hydrazine and hypergols (MMH, NTO, MON-3, MON-25)
  • Cryogenics: LOX, LN2, LCH4 (liquid methane), LNG, Propylene
  • Other: R134a, water, ethylene glycol, etc.

Scalable, high performance:

  • < 10 ml/min to >10 L/min
  • From 100 to 1,000 psid

Pumps designed for space with a complete line of services:

  • Designed for launch and space environments (vibration, vacuum, radiation)
  • Double seals or fully welded
  • Customizable, customer configuration control
  • Class 100 cleanliness for parts and assembly
  • Full data packages available
  • Full qualification and ATP testing available (vibration & thermal/thermal-vacuum)

Flexibility in Development Scope and Deliverables

Hydrazine and hypergols

Flight Works can adapt to your needs/requirements and provide a wide range of products, data packages, and services. These range from affordable spaceflight-capable hardware that the customer can qualify with minimal documentation to a customer-controlled product development and qualification with complete data package delivered for each hardware unit.

Space-rated radiation-tolerant motor controllers

Designed to operate any of our space pumps and capable of driving brushless motors:

  • High performance, space-rated quality
  • Up to 200 W (28V input)
  • Radiation tolerant: TID dose > 100 krad and min LET threshold > 110 MeV.cm2/mg
  • Qualified to GEVS
  • Available with 38999 or Micro-D connectors

 

 

Space-qualified miniature solenoid valves

Some of the smallest flight-proven solenoid valves for space propulsion and fluid systems:

  • ASCENT, LMP-103S, hydrazine, etc.
  • Sized for 100 mN, 1 N & 5 N thruster flow rates
  • 12 & 24 V windings available
  • Customizable materials and interfaces