What are some ways to make space propulsion systems more scalable and affordable?

One of the best ways to increase affordability for Electrostatic Thrusters is to find ways to reduce mass on the system and the craft without sacrificing efficiency or quality. This reduces the amount of propellant needed to maneuver, a better thrust-to-weight ratio, and less cost of materials. A second is to find an alternative propellant to the noble gases instead of Krypton, Xenon, and Argon. Some alternative propellants being researched are Magnesium and Water (Hydrogen and oxygen) these are less expensive alternatives but of course, the proper system has to be designed to use these and be efficient enough to meet the demands of the mission. Another is to reduce the Build of Materials cost and find better prices or off-the-shelf items.

Scalability: By designing components that can withstand multiple launches and the same rocket stages can be used for multiple missions. This makes it very flexible and can help increasing the launch frequency. One of the major advantages is affordability. Even though the initial investment for reusable systems might be higher, in the longer run it’s the most cost efficient method. This is primarily because major components can be recovered and refurbished rather than being entirely replaced It also aligns with sustainability goals in space exploration and helps in reducing the environmental impact of space missions as well as the environmental footprints associated with manufacturing new components .

Another key aspect of Modular Propulsion systems is the ability to interchange components more easily which is effective for maintenance and replacing old or damaged parts. This helps with the overall reusability of the thruster. Something important in the design is making sure it is hot-swap capable. Modular components that can be mixed with others is a good step in the direction of reducing the overall cost of production because it allows other companies to produce and supply certain parts. A lot of companies especially SpaceX are paving the way for the industry to move towards more streamlined production. Aircraft and car parts can come from a variety of suppliers which is a good example of modular part benefits.

I had an idea that I have not put too much research into but thought would be good to share on this subject. The ISS uses the WRS to recover water from sources such as urine but there are still other components of the urine that can be used such as ammonia. The idea is to add a system to recover ammonia from astronauts' urine in space and add it to the propellant for Pulsed Inductive Thrusters (PITs) which commonly use ammonia for thrust. This would be good for longer missions in space where resources are scarce or for new space stations that are being developed.