The US space agency’s new sub-kilowatt Hall-effect thruster could allow small spacecraft to explore the solar system like never before.
The new propulsion system, the NASA-H71M sub-kilowatt Hall-effect thruster, will be used for planetary exploration as well as for increasing the lifespan of existing satellites.
A Hall-effect thruster is a type of ion thruster that accelerates propellant using an electric field. The technology is already widely used in satellites in low Earth orbit. As such, it could form a crucial part of NASA’s future plans to explore our solar system, the US space agency explained on its website.Scientists at NASA’s Glenn Research Center engineered the propulsion system to operate efficiently on low power while having a high-propellant throughput, meaning that the system can use a high total mass of propellant over its lifetime.
NASA’s technology would enable this type of mission flexibility, meaning future missions could take on a whole host of new scientific objectives. In fact, the technology will soon be used by SpaceLogistics, a Northrop Grumman subsidiary.
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