The engine has undergone extensive development and qualification testing previously, and will be tested this year to the specific mission requirements applicable to Telstar 11N, the company said in a news release.

Based on AMPAC-ISP's heritage technology, the Platinum/Rhodium thruster will make its commercial satellite debut on Telstar 11N, and SS/L will purchase an additional lot of the thrusters for an upcoming program.

The thruster provides a 303-foot-pound-per-second specific impulse, better than a 3 percent increase over the heritage AMPAC-ISP engine, the release said. It also offers longer life due to improved chamber oxidation resistance.

The heritage engine flown by SS/L is AMPAC-ISP's 5-lbf Columbium thruster. AMPAC-ISP has been supplying the thrusters to SS/L for more than 15 years for use on the company's 1300 series geostationary satellite platform.

AMPAC-ISP will deliver thrusters to SS/L from November 2006 through April 2007, and will conduct characterization testing in parallel with production.

The thruster has been qualified for the Naval Research Laboratory following nearly seven years of development that produced the highest-performing MMH/NTO attitude control engine available.

The thruster has demonstrated stable operation and repeatable performance over a wide range of operating conditions.

"AMPAC-ISP's decision in 1997 to develop the next generation of station-keeping engine has been validated with SS/L's selection of the Platinum/Rhodium engine for its Telstar 11N program," said Robert Huebner, the company's vice president for operations.

"This engine provides not only added assurance for orbit insertion but the higher specific impulse and longer life will increase time on orbit and satellite life," he added.

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