ESP’s MR 103G thruster. Photo: ESP

[Via Satellite 06-24-2014] European Space Propulsion (ESP), an Aerojet Rocketdyne subsidiary, delivered the first set of MR 103G satellite thrusters to Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) for the FormoSat 7 program, a joint mission between Taiwan’s National Space Organization (NSPO) and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The program will seek to observe and collect data on the global climate, atmosphere and ionosphere to improve weather forecasting.

The delivery is part of the first award for ESP for the FormoSat 7 program, which entails the provision of thrusters for six spacecraft with the option for hardware for an additional six spacecraft. The first phase of the program is to deploy six satellites to orbit in 2016, with a second phase scheduled for 2018 for a total of 12 satellites to replace the existing FormoSat 3/Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) mission.

The MR 103G thruster is a 1N hydrazine monopropellant thruster and was originally designed for NASA’s Voyager spacecraft, on which the hardware is still operational after almost 36 years in space.