A side shot of the X3 firing at 50 kilowatts. Ion thrusters are among the most exciting propulsion systems for future deep space exploration, and the technology's viability has already been ...

Sacramento, Calif.-based Aerojet said June 29 that a xenon ion engine developed in partnership with NASA’s Glenn Research Center has surpassed 30,000 hours of operation in ground tests at the ...

GOCE’s sophisticated electric ion propulsion system has been switched on and confirmed to be operating normally, marking another crucial milestone in the satellite’s post-launch commissioning phase.

Demand for electric propulsion is growing for space applications and the proposed technological solutions are evolving fast. Gridded Ion Technology allows a more efficient management of Xe, providing ...

Researchers just test-fired a new type of ion thruster that “breathes” air, and one day, it could help humanity reach Mars and beyond. Better propulsion systems are key to advancing our space ...

Scientists have announced a breakthrough with an ion thruster that could one day take humans to Mars. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full ...

Engineers assemble the NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) before it begins its 5.5-year endurance test. The thruster generates small amounts of thrust using xenon gas that is ionized and ...

When it comes to traveling to Mars and other planets, we really can’t continue to rely on chemical burn rockets. These will either burn out too quickly or take too long to get there, and we need to ...

Aerojet has completed manufacture and integration testing of a xenon propellant management system (PMS) for phase one of NASA's evolutionary xenon thruster (NEXT) next-generation ion engine ...

The Dawn mission to the asteroid belt passed a critical test last weekend, exercising its gentle, yet reliable, ion-propulsion system to accelerate its mission to two destinations during an eight-year ...

NASA’s new X3 thruster, which is being developed by researchers at the University of Michigan in collaboration with the agency and the US Air Force, has broken records in recent test. It’s hoped that ...