[6][7] Brazil is promoting STEM at its universities and technological industries by engaging in the first Brazilian deep space mission and developing all the science instrument payloads, attitude control and navigation systems, as well as solar electric propulsion.
The engines are Hall effect thrusters powered by solar panels made out of gallium arsenide that are capable of generating up to 2.1 kW.
The ASTER mission team leaders are Antonio Gil Vicente de Brum, Marcelo Assafin, Flávio C. Cruz, and Álvaro Alberto Cuccolo.
[8] Since 2010, Brazil has been developing the desired science instrument payloads, attitude control and navigation systems,[3] as well as a novel solar electric propulsion engine with reduced energy requirements.
[8] The 30 kg (66 lb) science payload consists of: [3][8][9] The spacecraft features a type of solar electric propulsion based on the Hall effect thruster.
Bench tests in vacuum indicate that the use of permanent magnets reduces the electrical power consumption by 30%, which allows for the use of smaller and lighter solar panels.