James Webb Space Telescope propulsion subsystem
The James Webb Space Telescope propulsion subsystem combines four Secondary Combustion Augmented Thrusters (SCATs) using hydrazine and dinitrogen tetroxide for major orbit-correction and station-keeping maneuvers with eight hydrazine-only MRE-1 thrusters for attitude control and reaction-wheel momentum unloading. NASA and STScI document the two thruster classes and their spacecraft functions; the exact manufacturer or finer model lineage of the SCAT hardware is not asserted here.
Identity
- Aliases
- JWST propulsion subsystemWebb propulsion system
- Domains
- spaceflight
- Identity Level
- integrated-system
- Kind
- integrated-propulsion-system
- Name
- James Webb Space Telescope propulsion subsystem
- Status
- active
Details
- Description
- The James Webb Space Telescope propulsion subsystem combines four Secondary Combustion Augmented Thrusters (SCATs) using hydrazine and dinitrogen tetroxide for major orbit-correction and station-keeping maneuvers with eight hydrazine-only MRE-1 thrusters for attitude control and reaction-wheel momentum unloading. NASA and STScI document the two thruster classes and their spacecraft functions; the exact manufacturer or finer model lineage of the SCAT hardware is not asserted here.
- Propellants
- hydrazinedinitrogen tetroxide
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- September 7, 2026 at 21:49:28 UTC
- Updated Time
- September 7, 2026 at 21:49:28 UTC
Other
- Search Name
- James Webb Space Telescope propulsion subsystem JWST propulsion subsystem Webb propulsion system
- Sources
- Accessed Date
- 2026-09-07
- Note
- NASA documents Webb's four SCAT thrusters using hydrazine and dinitrogen tetroxide and eight hydrazine-only MRE-1 thrusters for attitude control and reaction-wheel momentum unloading.
- Publisher
- NASA Science
- Title
- Spacecraft Bus
- Accessed Date
- 2026-09-07
- Note
- STScI describes two pairs of SCAT thrusters for orbit correction and station-keeping and eight MRE-1 thrusters for attitude control and reaction-wheel momentum unloading.
- Publisher
- Space Telescope Science Institute
- Title
- JWST Propulsion
- Accessed Date
- 2026-09-07
- Note
- NASA records twelve rocket thrusters on Webb, the bipropellant SCAT role for major burns, and the hydrazine-only precision MRE role for repointing and momentum management.
- Publisher
- NASA Science
- Title
- NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Fully Fueled for Launch