The age of space electric propulsion arrived and found the space exploration endeavors at a
paradigm shift in the context of new space. Mega-constellations of small satellites on low …

The research challenges for electric propulsion technologies are examined in the context of
s-curve development cycles. It is shown that the need for research is driven both by the …

Theoretical, analytical, and experimental investigations of electrospray operation in vacuum
facilities show that secondary species emission (SSE) plays a significant role in the behavior …

The NASA Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding (HERMeS) 12.5 kW Technology
Demonstration Unit-1 (TDU-1) Hall thruster has been the subject of extensive technology …

Hollow cathode discharges are widely used as neutralizers for the electric propulsion
systems and recently developed into micro-thrusters for the small satellites. In this work, a …

An experimental investigation is presented into the wave-driven electron transport in the
near-field plume of a hollow cathode operating in a 300 V, 4.5 kW magnetically shielded …

An overview of low temperature, partially magnetized ion sources is presented. This class of
devices is broadly characterized by plasma densities below 10 19 m− 3, electron …

An analytical model for the dependence of the cathode coupling voltage in a Hall thruster on
facility pressure is derived and investigated. The expression for the coupling voltage is …

The physical mechanisms that govern the electrical interaction between the Hall-effect-
thruster electrical circuit and the conductive vacuum-facility walls are not fully understood. As …

The next generation of electric propulsion consists of systems in excess of 300 kW of power.
These systems enable a wide variety of missions, including crewed missions to near-Earth …