Next-Gen 'Ion Thruster' Could Be Satellite Savior By Space.com Published November 11, 2009 12:00am EST | Updated January 13, 2015 2:00pm EST ...

Proving yet again that Star Trek was scarily prescient, NASA has announced that its NEXT ion drive -- NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster -- has operated continually for over 43,000 hours (five years).

The NEXT ion thruster has run for 48,000 hours (Image: NASA Christopher J. Lynch (Photo: Wyle Information Systems, LLC)) View gallery - 3 images ...

That’s why NASA developed the H71M sub-kilowatt Hall-effect thruster, a next-generation ion engine that can supply a velocity change. The propulsion system must operate using low power ...

The NEXT ion thruster is one of NASA’s latest generation of engines. With a power output of seven kilowatts, it’s over twice as powerful as the ones used aboard the unmanned Dawn space probe.

The agency has also been testing a more advanced ion engine, called NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT), which generates 2.5 times as much thrust as an NSTAR engine. Now, NEXT has broken a ...

The next generation of ion engines have a fuel efficiency 10 to 12 times greater than traditional chemical thrusters. A five-year test of NASA's latest ion drive for future spacecraft has set a ...

For more on the actual science of ion thrusters, and how they work, read our story about NASA's NEXT ion drive. Tagged In CAT Ion Thruster Space Travel Space NASA ...

New iodine-based plasma thruster tested in orbit Iodine doesn't need a high-pressure propellant tank, as it can be stored as a solid. John Timmer – Nov 17, 2021 2:27 pm | 180 ...

Hall thrusters (HTs) have been developed to have a relatively high efficiency of 45%–55% in the power range of 0.5 to 5 kW.2 However, scaling down the HT to a low power range has several challenges ...

Spacecraft have used ion drives to explore the moon and deep space, but a new study aims to boost the electric propulsion idea to keep satellites around Earth alive longer.