Arcjets and arc heaters: An overview of research status and needs

Arcjets and arc heaters are important to a number of government-sponsored aerospace programs and share several common features. Placing satellites in orbit, maintaining proper orbit, and repositioning are major spacecraft mass drivers for a wide range of missions, Arcjets can reduce mission propulsion requirements in many cases and are of interest to many satellite users. Are heaters are critical to the future development of hypersonic combat ah-craft. Design and construction of a hypersonic aircraft for speeds of 4-5 km/s (Mach 12-15) will be complex and will require the development of high-performance are-heating facilities for the evaluation/validation of new airframe and propulsion technologies, The first objective of this overview is to provide a summary of the basic principles of arcjets and are heaters for readers unfamiliar with the field. The second objective is to describe fundamental research required to overcome the limitations of both devices, with an emphasis on common research areas. This overview is not comprehensive, but does include national research and development activities. It is intended as a guide to the organization of scientific research serving both arcjet and are-heater development communities.