Nano Mechanical Properties of Ceramic Polymer Composite Micro Thruster Developed Using 3D Printing Technology

Nano and micro satellites, when revolving around the earth, may drift by very small angle from their orbit. But this small angle drift may result in large deviation from their original orbit over a long distance which these satellite covers over a period of time. For the course correction of these satellites, very small thrust is required in specific direction. Normal propulsion system cannot serve this purpose, because the thrust may be too large for these satellites. That's where the role of micro thrusters becomes important. These are MEMS devices which can produce very small thrust and can be used for nano and micro satellite propulsion. In this study, we have developed micro thrusters using 3D printing technology from ceramic polymer composite. They have been characterized for different nano mechanical properties to study their suitability for propelling the nano and micro satellite.