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

The AEPS is a solar electric propulsion system that uses xenon as its propellant, much like existing ion engines. Where it differs is in the power output, which should allow it to work as the ...

Today, rockets heavily rely on chemical propulsion. Deep space probes like Voyager 1 and 2, meanwhile, have used ion propulsion to reach further than any human-made spacecraft. While chemical ...

Unlike most interplanetary probes, Dawn is not propelled by a chemical rocket engine, but by a solar-electric ion propulsion system, particularly suitable for long-distance flights. This innovative ...

Their bold experiments with ionic propulsion and electrostatic energy opened doors for future space exploration methods.

Hollow cathodes are used as part of both Hall effect and gridded ion thrusters, which are some of the most common forms of electric propulsion in use today. The operation of hollow cathodes, despite ...

These systems are characterized by the propellant used and emission mode of the ion beam. The most common of these, field emission electric propulsion (FEEP), utilize liquid metals as its ion source ...

Letara, a startup that develops and manufactures propulsion systems (engines) for spacecraft such as satellites using plastic as fuel, announced on the 12th that it has raised an additional 650 ...