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Electrically Powered Spacecraft Propulsion

Electric propulsion systems use electrical and magnetic fields to expel propellant at high speeds for spacecraft propulsion. While electric thrusters use less propellant than chemical rockets due to their higher exhaust speeds, the thrust is much weaker but can provide small thrust over long durations. This makes electric propulsion well-suited for some deep space missions where high speeds are needed over long periods. As of 2019, over 500 spacecraft use electric propulsion for functions like station keeping and orbit raising. Future highly advanced electric thrusters may be able to impart enough velocity change to reach the outer planets, but interstellar travel would require further development.

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Sauransh Gupta
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20 views1 page

Electrically Powered Spacecraft Propulsion

Electric propulsion systems use electrical and magnetic fields to expel propellant at high speeds for spacecraft propulsion. While electric thrusters use less propellant than chemical rockets due to their higher exhaust speeds, the thrust is much weaker but can provide small thrust over long durations. This makes electric propulsion well-suited for some deep space missions where high speeds are needed over long periods. As of 2019, over 500 spacecraft use electric propulsion for functions like station keeping and orbit raising. Future highly advanced electric thrusters may be able to impart enough velocity change to reach the outer planets, but interstellar travel would require further development.

Uploaded by

Sauransh Gupta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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6 kW Hall thruster in operation at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

An electrically powered spacecraft propulsion system uses electrical, and possibly also


magnetic fields, to change the velocity of a spacecraft. Most of these kinds of spacecraft
propulsion systems work by electrically expelling propellant (reaction mass) at high speed.[1]
Electric thrusters typically use much less propellant than chemical rockets because they have a
higher exhaust speed (operate at a higher specific impulse) than chemical rockets.[2] Due to
limited electric power the thrust is much weaker compared to chemical rockets, but electric
propulsion can provide a small thrust for a long duration of time.[3] Electric propulsion can achieve
high speeds over long periods and thus can work better than chemical rockets for some deep
space missions.[2]
Electric propulsion is now a mature and widely used technology on spacecraft. Russian satellites
have used electric propulsion for decades[4] and it is predicted that by 2020, half of all new
satellites will carry full electric propulsion.[5] As of 2019, over 500 spacecraft operated throughout
the Solar System use electric propulsion for station keeping, orbit raising, or primary propulsion.
[6]
In the future, the most advanced electric thrusters may be able to impart a Delta-v of 100 km/s,
which is enough to take a spacecraft to the outer planets of the Solar System (with nuclear
power), but is insufficient for interstellar travel.[2][7] An electric rocket with an external power source
(transmissible through laser on the photovoltaic panels) has a theoretical possibility
for interstellar flight.[8][9] However, electric propulsion is not a method suitable for launches from
the Earth's surface, as the thrust for such systems is too weak.

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