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Electric Propulsion Comes of Age with Psyche Mission to an Asteroid

posted by martyb on Monday November 22 2021, @10:54AM   
from the AXE:-Advancing-Xenon-Emitters dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

Not Science Fiction: Electric Propulsion Comes of Age With Psyche Mission to an Asteroid:

Psyche's Hall thrusters will be the first to be used beyond lunar orbit, demonstrating that they could play a role in supporting future missions to deep space. The spacecraft is set to launch in August 2022 and its super-efficient mode of propulsion uses solar arrays to capture sunlight that is converted into electricity to power the spacecraft's thrusters. The thrusters work by turning xenon gas, a neutral gas used in car headlights and plasma TVs, into xenon ions. As the xenon ions are accelerated out of the thruster, they create the thrust that will propel the spacecraft.

Belters rejoice.

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Original Submission

• Alternates to Xenon gas? Alternates to Xenon gas? (Score: 5, Interesting) by DannyB on Monday November 22 2021, @04:21PM (2 children)

  by DannyB (5839) on Monday November 22 2021, @04:21PM (#1198591) Journal

  From Nature:
  In-orbit demonstration of an iodine electric propulsion system [nature.com]

  [ . . . . ] At present, xenon is used almost exclusively as an ionizable propellant for space propulsion2,3,4,5. However, xenon is rare, it must be stored under high pressure and commercial production is expensive7,8,9. Here we demonstrate a propulsion system that uses iodine propellant and we present in-orbit results of this new technology.

  Iodine powers low-cost engines for satellites [nature.com]

  Solid iodine transforms directly into gas when heated — a property that has been used to create cheap, compact engines that could make large networks of small satellites commercially viable.

  _{(almost successfully resisted temptation to make adolescent joke about gas discharges)}

  --
  The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.

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• Re:Alternates to Xenon gas? Re:Alternates to Xenon gas? (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 22 2021, @06:05PM (1 child)

  by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 22 2021, @06:05PM (#1198621)

  Maybe the Church of Scientology can help? They could harness the power of Xenu farts!

  https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/southpark/images/e/e6/Xenu.png/revision/latest?cb=20170329123459 [nocookie.net]

  Parent

  • Re:Alternates to Xenon gas? (Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday November 22 2021, @08:51PM

    by DannyB (5839) on Monday November 22 2021, @08:51PM (#1198678) Journal

    I don't have a source that I can sight, but isn't Xenu even more rare and harder to find than Xenon?

    --
    The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.

    Parent