Inspired by NASA aerospace engineering, this project features a plasma thruster, designed to maximize efficiency and increase ...

The vast majority of ion thrusters rely on gaseous propellants, however. A schematic of an gridded electrostatic ion thruster. Wear on the grids over time limits the life of these thrusters.

Electrospray (ES) thrusters generate low thrust via the electrostatic extraction of charged species from an electrified liquid. These systems are characterized by the propellant used and emission mode ...

More information: Huy D. Tran et al, Carbon Transport in Electric Propulsion Testing – I: Multiscale Computations for Carbon Sputtering by Low Energy Ion Bombardment, AIAA SCITECH 2024 Forum (2024).

Ion thrusters are the most common primary engine powering satellites through orbital maneuvers today. But to travel from ...