Yvonne Brill

Yvonne Claeys Brill (1924-2013) was a Canadian-American rocket and propulsion engineer whose work is still used to keep satellites in their proper orbits. In 1972 Brill invented the electrothermal hydrazine thruster, a propulsion system that uses electrically heated hydrazine propellant to give small, precise thrust, making station-keeping more fuel-efficient than earlier chemical thrusters. The design was patented and went on to become a standard technology for geostationary communications satellites, extending their operational lifetimes by reducing the propellant needed for orbital corrections. Over her long career Brill worked on propulsion systems for NASA programs and for the International Maritime Satellite Organization's satellite fleet, and in 2011 she received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in recognition of her contributions to rocket propulsion. Brill's thruster design remains in wide use on communications satellites today.