Russia is testing a plasma engine prototype designed to slash Mars travel time to just 60 days. Developed by Rosatom’s ...

I have heard that ion engines are becoming reality. Will they be the space propulsion of the future? originally appeared on Quora: the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered ...

A group of French physicists has optimized a type of ion thruster to significantly extend its lifetime: the new development made it sturdy enough to be able withstand a long trip into deep space. Such ...

Last week, as the world celebrated the first lunar landing, Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins both called for NASA to make Mars its next goal. But the chemical propulsion system ...

Hall thrusters combine a magnetic field and a trapped electron cloud to create a completely hollow “virtual” cathode. A small amount of propellant gas (like xenon) is injected into the thruster’s ...

Plasma physics is more than a science to me - it's a tool for the future, and a source of inspiration for us all to reach ...