Ameer Randolph
The now-retired NASA spacecraft Dawn was launched in 2007 with the mission of studying two protoplanets of the asteroid belt: Vesta and Ceres. To achieve this, the spacecraft was equipped with an innovative hyper-efficient ion propulsion system, which used xenon gas as fuel. This system allowed Dawn to enter orbit around two different solar system bodies, a first for any spacecraft. The ion propulsion system was chosen for its fuel efficiency, requiring only a tenth of the propellant of traditional propulsion systems.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Fuel Type | Xenon |
| Fuel at Launch | 937 pounds (425 kilograms) |
| Fuel Remaining at End of Mission | 31 pounds (14 kilograms) |
| Fuel Consumption | 250 grams of xenon to fire for 24 hours |
| Fuel Economy | 10 times more than a conventional rocket engine |
| Fuel Efficiency | 3.25 milligrams of xenon per second (about 10 ounces over 24 hours) at maximum thrust |
| Additional Fuel | 100.5 pounds (45.6 kilograms) of hydrazine |
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What You'll Learn
The spacecraft's fuel was depleted in 2018, ending its mission
The Dawn spacecraft was launched by NASA in September 2007. Its mission was to study two of the three known protoplanets of the asteroid belt: Vesta and Ceres. It entered orbit around Vesta in July 2011 and completed a 14-month survey mission before heading to Ceres in late 2012.
Dawn entered orbit around Ceres on March 6, 2015. In 2017, NASA announced that the planned nine-year mission would be extended until the probe's hydrazine fuel supply was depleted. The spacecraft carried three ion engines that used xenon fuel and electrical power to generate low levels of thrust. This fuel setup allowed for greater fuel efficiency compared to conventional thrusters.
By 2018, the spacecraft had been in operation for over a decade and was expected to deplete its hydrazine fuel supply soon. On November 1, 2018, NASA announced that Dawn had depleted its hydrazine fuel, and the mission was officially ended. The depletion of hydrazine meant that the spacecraft could no longer control its orientation, rendering it unable to point its solar arrays at the Sun or its antenna at Earth.
The derelict probe remains in a stable orbit around Ceres, where it will stay as a "monument" for at least 20 years. Dawn made significant contributions to the exploration of Vesta and Ceres, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit two extraterrestrial bodies and the first to visit each of these protoplanets.
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Dawn's fuel was used for its ion propulsion system
The Dawn spacecraft was launched by NASA in September 2007 with the mission of studying two of the three known protoplanets of the asteroid belt: Vesta and Ceres. It was the first spacecraft to orbit two extraterrestrial bodies.
Dawn's ion propulsion system was powered by solar panels, which ionized its fuel, Xenon, and then accelerated it with an electric field between two grids. The xenon fuel was chosen because it is chemically inert, can be easily stored in a compact form, and provides a relatively large thrust compared to other candidates. The electrical power level and xenon fuel feed could be adjusted to throttle each engine up or down in thrust.
The spacecraft carried 425 kilograms (937 pounds) of xenon propellant at launch, and each kilogram of fuel produced ten times as much thrust as a kilogram of hydrogen and oxygen in a conventional rocket engine. The fuel economy of the ion drive enabled Dawn to follow an ambitious trajectory, which would not have been possible with a chemical engine. The ion propulsion system was also ten times more efficient than traditional propulsion, requiring only a tenth of the propellant to go the same distance.
The ion propulsion system allowed Dawn to go into orbit around two different solar system bodies, a first for any spacecraft. The system operated for thousands of days, with a total thrust time of 2,000 days through the entire mission.
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The xenon fuel was accelerated using an electric field
The Dawn spacecraft was launched by NASA in September 2007 with the mission of studying two of the three known protoplanets of the asteroid belt: Vesta and Ceres. It was the first spacecraft to orbit two extraterrestrial bodies. The spacecraft was powered by an innovative and high-tech ion propulsion system, which was also referred to as a solar electric propulsion system.
The xenon fuel was chosen because it is chemically inert, easily stored in a compact form, and the atoms are relatively heavy, providing a relatively large thrust compared to other candidates. The ion propulsion system will operate for thousands of days, as opposed to the minutes of a conventional chemical engine. This allowed the spacecraft to achieve its ambitious trajectory, which would not have been possible with a chemical engine while still remaining within the cost limits.
The xenon fuel was efficiently used by the ion propulsion system, requiring only 250 grams of xenon to fire for 24 hours. At the end of the mission, the engines had operated for 50,000 hours and had used 425 kilograms of xenon gas. Each kilogram of fuel produced 10 times as much thrust as a kilogram of hydrogen and oxygen in a conventional rocket engine.
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Fuel economy allowed Dawn to enter orbit around two bodies
The Dawn spacecraft was launched by NASA in September 2007 with the mission of studying two of the three known protoplanets of the asteroid belt: Vesta and Ceres. It is the first spacecraft to have orbited two extraterrestrial bodies.
Dawn's hyper-efficient ion propulsion system allowed it to enter orbit around two different solar system bodies. This was a first for any spacecraft. The ion propulsion system was proved on NASA's Deep Space 1 mission, which tested it and 11 other technologies while journeying to an asteroid and a comet. Each of Dawn's three 30-centimetre-diameter ion thrust units is movable in two axes to allow for migration of the spacecraft's centre of mass during the mission. This also allows the attitude control system to use the ion thrusters to help control the spacecraft's attitude.
Dawn carried 425 kilograms (937 pounds) of xenon propellant at launch. Xenon was chosen because it is chemically inert, can be easily stored in a compact form, and its atoms are relatively heavy, providing a large thrust compared to other candidates. The electrical power level and xenon fuel feed can be adjusted to throttle each engine up or down in thrust. The engines are thrifty with fuel, using only about 3.25 milligrams of xenon per second (about 10 ounces over 24 hours) at maximum thrust.
During its time in orbit around Vesta, the probe experienced several failures of its reaction wheels. Investigators planned to modify their activities upon arrival at Ceres for close-range geographical survey mapping. The Dawn team stated that they would orient the probe using a "hybrid" mode utilizing both reaction wheels and ion thrusters. Engineers determined that this hybrid mode would conserve fuel.
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Dawn's hybrid mode conserved fuel
The Dawn spacecraft, launched by NASA in September 2007, was the first to orbit two extraterrestrial bodies, Vesta and Ceres, and the first to orbit a dwarf planet. Its mission was to study two of the three known protoplanets of the asteroid belt.
During its time in orbit around Vesta, the probe experienced several failures of its reaction wheels. These failures meant that the probe consumed more hydrazine fuel than expected, as turning the spacecraft to take camera observations required this fuel.
To conserve fuel, the Dawn team decided to orient the probe using a "hybrid mode". This hybrid mode utilized both reaction wheels and ion thrusters. On November 13, 2013, Dawn engineers completed a 27-hour-long series of successful exercises in this hybrid mode, giving them confidence in their ability to control the spacecraft's orientation.
The ion propulsion system, which was crucial to the mission, allowed the spacecraft to change velocity and enter and leave the orbit of multiple celestial bodies. The xenon fuel used in the ion propulsion system was chosen for its chemically inert nature, ease of storage, and the large thrust it provides. The electrical power level and xenon fuel feed could be adjusted to control the thrust, with the system using only about 3.25 milligrams of xenon per second at maximum thrust.
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Frequently asked questions
The Dawn spacecraft carried 425 kilograms of xenon propellant at launch.
Xenon is chemically inert, can be easily stored in a compact form, and provides a relatively large thrust compared to other candidates.
The Dawn spacecraft had 14 kilograms of propellant remaining at the end of its mission.
The Dawn spacecraft used fuel to turn the spacecraft for camera observations.
The fuel on the Dawn spacecraft lasted for 50,000 hours of operation.
