Patent ID: 11945606
Assignee: BALL AEROSPACE & TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 9:
10. A spacecraft, comprising:
a propulsion system, including:
an electric propulsion thruster;
a first storage tank, wherein the first storage tank includes a metallic propellant;
a first supply valve, wherein the first supply valve is between an outlet of the first storage tank and the electric propulsion thruster;
a second storage tank, wherein the second storage tank includes a non-metallic propellant; and
a second supply valve, wherein the second supply valve is between an outlet of the second storage tank and the electric propulsion thruster;

a control system; and
an instrument, wherein the instrument is sensitive to the metallic propellant, wherein in a first mode of operation in which the instrument is not in a vulnerable state the control system is configured to operate the first supply valve to supply metallic propellant to the electric propulsion thruster, wherein in a second mode of operation in which the instrument is in a vulnerable state the control system is configured to operate the second supply valve to supply non-metallic propellant to the electric propulsion thruster, and wherein the control system is configured to operate no more than one of the first supply valve and the second supply valve to supply a respective propellant to the electric propulsion thruster at any one time.