Application and Fight Testing of Ion Electric Propulsion in High Throughout Satellite

APSTAR-6D satellite is a geostationary orbit broadband communication satellite of APT Mobile Satcom Limited Company(APSAT),cooperation with Hong Kong Asia-Pacific Communications Satellite Co.,Ltd.It is the first commercial satellite with electric propulsion system in China.The satellite adopts the LIPS-200 ion electric propulsion sys-tem of Lanzhou Institute of Physics,and performs the satellite’s 15-year North-South position maintenance task in orbit.Since the performance verification must be a vacuum environment,the electric propulsion system is carried on the satellite,and a series of test are adopted to confirm the compatibility between the electric propulsion system and other satellite sys-tems.This paper focuses on the design of electric propulsion,integrated performance test,function compatibility joint test,vacuum ignition test,vacuum electromagnetic compatibility test,etc.The analyses of the preliminary flight results show that the electric propulsion system is perfectly compatible with the satellite.After the satellite is launched into orbit,the thrust and power of the electric propulsion system will be tested and evaluated to confirm that whether it meets the require-ments of the North-South position maintenance mission.