Busek Co. of Natick, a maker of in-space propulsion, sensors and power systems, has announced its BHT-6000 Hall effect thrusters will be used as part of NASA’s upcoming return to the Moon. The company announced one of its thrusters will be used on NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit after passing a hot fire test campaign.
Four solar BHT-6000 Hall effect thrusters will be used in conjunction with Maxar Technologies high-power control electronics as part of the electric propulsion subsystem on NASA’s Gateway outpost used for maneuvering in orbit, according to a release from Busek. This platform will orbit the moon during NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and next man on the Moon and enable future crewed missions to Mars.
“This will be the first time a crewed platform leverages electric propulsion technology, and Busek is extremely proud to provide next-generation Hall thrusters for the Power and Propulsion Element,” Vlad Hruby, president and founder of Busek said in a release. “Busek’s participation in the historic Artemis program is uniquely demanding and extremely rewarding for the entire team.”
The news of Busek’s participation in the Artemis program comes after the setup passed a hot fire test campaign. The company had previously announced it had received an order for BHT-6000 Hall effect thrusters from a then undisclosed customer.
