Space Technology 7 Disturbance Reduction System

In addition to the LISA Technology Package (LTP), LISA Pathfinder will also carry the NASA Space Technology 7, Disturbance Reduction System, contributing to the mission goals by validating additional technology for future drag-free spacecraft. It will be run as a separate experiment and at different times from the full European system, but will start by receiving measurement input from the inertial sensors of the LISA Technology Package. It will then use its own drag-free control software and two clusters of micronewton thrusters, mounted on two opposite panels of the science module, to control the position and attitude of the spacecraft. The Disturbance Reduction System uses colloidal micronewton thrusters, which generate propulsion by charging small drops of liquid and accelerating them through an electric field.