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 ...

On the face of things, not much, but after seeing [Zachary Tong]’s latest video on liquid metal ion thrusters, we see that they seem to have a lot more in common than we’d initially thought.

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 ...

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

To safely bring people to and from the Red Planet, some researchers are looking to ion engines. These thrusters create force by shooting charged atoms from the back of a spacecraft. Star Wars ...

Vesta looms in this artist’s view. Dawn’s ion drive is weak, but chemical engines aren’t efficient enough to reach two asteroids. Mid-Continent Research For Education And Learning We’ve ...

we didn't know whether the coating damage was from accelerated ions directly hitting the engine or whether the coating damage was artificially mitigated by the deposition of carbon from ion ...

Such a long runtime period is due to the long operating time of the propulsion system in space. An ion engine has to fire for a long time to fulfill a required mission because of its small thrust.

The lithium-ion batteries are a modular design and feature ... Perkins continues to invest in new engine technologies, including dual label certification for EU Stage V and U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final.