Credit: NASA, public domain Before we dive into the world of ion thrusters, it’s important to understand the concept of specific impulse and fuel efficiency for rocket thrusters of all kinds.

NASA is developing a groundbreaking spacecraft concept designed to revolutionize Mars travel. The ambitious plan involves ...

An curved arrow pointing right. NASA is working on the next generation of space propulsion, and it's looking very wimpy — but incredibly efficient. The space agency is developing a brand-new ion ...

NASA has used ion engines for decades ... But in traditional ion engines, sometimes called Hall thrusters, the constant bombardment of energized particles against the back wall of the engine ...

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 ...

When [Jay Bowles] demoed his first-generation ion thruster on Plasma Channel, the resulting video picked up millions of views and got hobbyists and professionals alike talking. While ionic lifters ...

A research team presents an AI assessor for Hall-effect ion thrusters ... Starlink constellation and NASA's Psyche asteroid mission, are high-efficiency electric propulsion devices using plasma ...

To maintain contact with Earth, NASA engineers had to switch to a backup thruster system, carefully balancing the spacecraft’s limited power and aging systems to avoid damaging it. Voyager 1’s ...