The new Russian rocket engine achieves higher acceleration than chemical rockets by using magnetic plasma accelerators, ...

A 6.5-meter tall vehicle that weighs about 9,000 pounds at launch would not be workable without the ion propulsion. The craft will also use gravity assists from Earth, Venus, and Mercury.

However, a propulsion system issue meant the ... also provided scientific measurements of Mercury's magnetic, plasma and particle environments, offering insights from areas that won't be ...