A Spacecraft for Ion Thrustor Flight Tests

A spacecraft that will be used for flight tests of ion thrustors is described. The spacecraft has been designed to provide measurements of thrustor electrical parameters and thrust. The tests to be carried out will determine the validity of ion thrustor performance data which have been obtained in vacuum chambers. The spacecraft, to carry two thrustors of different construction, will be launched into a ballistic trajectory by the NASA Scout vehicle. The test time will be approximately one hour.