Xenon ground support equipment [ Return towards Ground equipment for fluid distribution ]

Air Liquide created Xenon support equipment for ground operations of Xenon filling, draining and pressure testing for plasmic propulsion systems.

Ionic propulsion becomes a base technology for in orbit satellite control. The propulsion units, supplied with high pressure Xenon (180 bar), realize exceptional performances reducing the satellite mass or extending its lifetime for many years. Due to the specific thermodynamic characteristics of Xenon and the high storage pressure required by the spacecraft (150 bar to be compared to 60 bar in available cylinders), Air Liquide developed an automatic, mobile, light and space saver Xenon filling cart.