Development of high-current hollow cathodes at SITAEL

Hollow cathodes are often referred to as one of the most critical elements in electric propulsion thruster units. SITAEL has been working on the development of a family of high- and low- current hollow cathodes to couple with Hall thrusters of power levels ranging from 100 W up to 25 kW. High-current hollow cathodes include the HC20 and HC60 models, which are designed for operation with 5 kW and 20 kW class Hall-Effect Thrusters, respectively. In the framework of Ital-GovSatCom Project, the HC20 EQM is currently under development and is undergoing preparation for the environmental testing. Following the EQM verification activities, a QM will be manufactured and validated through a complete qualification test campaign. In parallel, SITAEL successfully performed a stand-alone and Thruster Unit characterisation of the HC60 EM, developed in the framework of several European Space Agency and European Commission Programs. This paper describes the main strategies, methods and targets for the development of SITAEL's high-current hollow cathodes, the HC20 and the HC60, as well as an overview of the main activities performed during the years 2019-2020, together with the further development plans.