SAN FRANCISCO – The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded Benchmark Space Systems $4.9 million to develop propulsion systems for ASCENT monopropellant.
The two-year award announced Sept. 5 covers development of Benchmark 22-newton to 100-newton propulsion systems for ASCENT. ASCENT is a non-toxic propellant developed by the Air Force Research Lab.
Under a previous contract, Benchmark was focused on its 22-newton Macaw thruster for ASCENT. The new award allows Benchmark to look at qualification and manufacturing readiness for 22-newton and 100-newton propulsion systems.
“It’s a shift in focus from earlier stage research and development to the push to get this to a state where we can start introducing it into flight hardware and flight systems across the board,” Jake Teufert, Benchmark chief technology officer, told SpaceNews.
Benchmark is eager to begin flying ASCENT-fueled propulsion systems.
“You get about 50 percent more impulse per gallon of fuel from ASCENT than from hydrazine,” Teufert said. “That’s a massive shift in performance capability. We think that tips the scales for the next set of customers.”
Compatibility and Precautions
Still, some customers who have long relied on hydrazine are wary of new propellants. ASCENT has flown on NASA’s Green Propellant Infusion Mission and NASA’s Lunar Flashlight.
“This is a different chemical, a different fluid, so it will require different material compatibility and precautions,” said Kevin DiMarzio, Benchmark business development director. “We’re going to be performing rigorous campaigns of qualification throughout all of the different subsystems and components.”
At the conclusion of the contract in 2026, Benchmark “should have ready a 22-newton thruster, a 100-newton thruster and propulsion system to go along with it,” DiMarzio added.
Benchmark will be “proving that we can build flightworthy, high-impulse, long-duration, high-thrust propulsion systems using this new propellant,” Teufert said.
Benchmark has won three contract under the AFRL SPRINT program. SPRINT stands for Space Propulsion Research and Innovation for Neutralizing Satellite Threats.
In addition, Benchmark plans to design, build and test propulsion system prototypes to deliver thrust in the 10- to 500-newton range.
“Benchmark Space Systems is thrilled to receive our second AFRL SPRINT follow-on award, as a strong vote of confidence in our ability to successfully crack the elusive ASCENT propellant code for scaled up government and military missions in space,” Michael Martin, Benchmark Advanced Propellants Group director, said in a statement. “Benchmark’s approach to making ASCENT a viable and reliable alternative to hydrazine is centered around the elimination of expensive catalyst beds to reduce thruster costs and accelerate the scalability and commercial adoption of ASCENT for future spacecraft in the 10-500 Newton thrust range.”
