Introduction

Abstract

Abstract The advantages of pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs), the first type of electric propulsion system for space applications, include their low-power consumption, fast response, simple structure, easy integration, convenient control, and precise and controllable thrust, making them especially suitable for tasks such as microsatellite attitude control, position keeping, orbit raising, and formation flying. In recent years, with the increase in microsatellite applications, the demand for advanced on-orbit propulsion technologies for use in microsatellites has increased. Therefore, PPT research and applications have received widespread attention, becoming a hot topic and an important research direction in microsatellite propulsion technologies (Yang et al. in J Rocket Propul 32:32–36, 2006).