An ion thruster, ion drive, or ion engine is a form of electric propulsion used for spacecraft propulsion. An ion thruster creates a cloud of positive ions from a neutral gas by ionizing it to extract some electrons from its atoms. The ions are then accelerated using electricity to …

2024年5月3日 · In the future, spacecraft will need to perform high-velocity propulsive maneuvers—such as achieving escape velocity and orbital capture—that current ion engines can’t deliver. That’s why NASA...

Ion thrusters (based on a NASA design) are now being used to keep over 100 geosynchronous Earth orbit communication satellites in their desired locations, and three NSTAR ion thrusters that utilize Glenn-developed technology are enabling the Dawn spacecraft (launched in 2007) to travel deep into our solar system.

2024年11月2日 · Dawn’s futuristic, hyper-efficient ion propulsion system allows Dawn to go into orbit around two different solar system bodies, a first for any spacecraft. Meeting the ambitious mission objectives would be impossible without the ion engines.

2013年9月9日 · NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) project, managed at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, has completed a test that powered the ion engine for over 48,000 hours. That’s five and a half years of thruster operation, making it the longest duration test of any space propulsion system in history.

2018年8月21日 · Ion propulsion systems ionize (charge) atoms and then exploit their non-neutral charge to expel them from the spacecraft, creating thrust. Dawn’s gridded ion thrusters achieve this by accelerating xenon, ionized by an electron beam, through a …

2024年4月26日 · Looking to the future of space exploration, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) have been busy developing a next-generation ion engine that combines extreme fuel efficiency...

2013年6月27日 · CLEVELAND – A NASA advanced ion propulsion engine has successfully operated for more than 48,000 hours, or 5 and a half years, making it the longest test duration of any type of space propulsion system demonstration project ever.

1 天前 · A research team presents an AI assessor for Hall-effect ion thrusters, the engines of satellites and space probes. Hall thrusters, a key space technology for missions like SpaceX's Starlink ...

In chronological order, spacecraft are listed equipped with electric space propulsion. This includes both cruise engines and/or thrusters for attitude and orbit control. It is not specified whether the given engine is the sole means of propulsion or whether other types of …