Getting that fuel into orbit is costly, too! Ion thrusters, in their various forms, offer an alternative solution – miniscule thrust, but high fuel efficiency. This tiny push won’t get you off ...

First among those characteristics is the power plant. Ion thrusters need a power source and an effective one if they will ...

But in traditional ion engines, sometimes called Hall thrusters, the constant bombardment of energized particles against the back wall of the engine gradually wears it down until the device shorts ...

Things have changed in the past decade, with researchers testing different methods of propulsion. Take Orbion Space Technology, for example. They supply NASA with ion thrusters, and they are a ...

Hollow cathodes are used as part of both Hall effect and gridded ion thrusters, which are some of the most common forms of electric propulsion in use today. The operation of hollow cathodes, despite ...

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 ...