The ion thruster, fueled by xenon gas, ran for a total of 16,265 hours during the mission, providing a total change in velocity (delta-V) of 4.3 kilometers per second, the largest for any ...

Chemical rockets have powered humanity’s journey into space for decades. Their explosive thrust is essential for launch, but in the vacuum of space, these systems quickly burn through fuel, making ...

When [Jay Bowles] demoed his first-generation ion thruster on Plasma Channel, the resulting video picked up millions of views and got hobbyists and professionals alike talking. While ionic lifters ...

The Dawn mission to the asteroid belt passed a critical test last weekend, exercising its gentle, yet reliable, ion-propulsion system to accelerate its mission to two destinations during an eight ...

New iodine-based plasma thruster tested in orbit Iodine doesn't need a high-pressure propellant tank, as it can be stored as a solid.

The ion propulsion engine on NASA's Deep Space 1 probe has been running for more than 200 days since the craft's launch in October 1998, propelling the tiny spacecraft more than 206 million miles ...

An ion thruster (or ion drive), one of several types of spacecraft propulsion, uses beams of ions - electrically charged atoms or molecules - for propulsion. The precise method for accelerating ...

Boeing recently announced it would deploy a satellite powered completely by ion propulsion, with no chemical propellant, while in orbit. Electric propulsion has long been seen as a bright hope for ...

For a few years now, ion propulsion technology's sci-fi mechanics have raised the standard for flying spacecraft, replacing fiery rocket tails as the new in-thing.

But to travel from low-Earth orbit (LEO) to farther orbits—or even the Moon—requires a different kind of ion thruster capable of achieving escape velocity and orbital capture maneuvers.