Miniature Extendable Nozzles or Actuating Nozzles for Improved ISP of Divert and Attitude Control System (DACS) Thrusters

Analytical Services, Inc., is pleased to present this proposal for a lightweight, low cost, high area ratio extendible nozzle design that will provide significant increases in solid divert and attitude control system (SDACS) divert performance. We propose to use a combination of low cost, lightweight refractory materials formed, using selective laser melting (SLM), into extremely efficient structural configurations, which provides the basic nozzle structure. The nozzle extensions are passively deployed using the SDACS propellant ignition and held in their extended position using passive, simple mechanical interfaces. Our Phase I study showed a significant increase in achievable area ratio, which, when combined with the low-weight, compact throttling approach, increased divert specific impulse (Isp) performance. When adding additional propellant due to the newly-emptied internal volume (due to the extreme packaging efficiency of our nozzle design), divert delta-V performance increased significantly. Approved for Public Release 14-MDA-7739 (18 March 14).