The H2020 MINOTOR project focused on the study and the optimization of the ECRA
thruster, an electric propulsion system for satellites. First, a 30 W prototype of this Electron …

Abstract A Hall Effect Thruster propelled by water vapour is investigated at the Imperial
Plasma Propulsion Laboratory. For that purpose, a water vapour feed system is designed …

Plasma chemistry of main Earth atmospheric components in VLEOs is implemented in a
hybrid 2D axisymmetric simulation code to assess the air-breathing concept in an …

A one dimensional model using chemical kinetics theory and empirical electron impact
collision cross sections is used to calculate the composition of molecular propellant in a …

This paper investigates whether biased electrodes can improve the performance of a
microwave-discharge water ion thruster, which has been proposed as a propulsion system …

The effect of electron cyclotron resonance on the electron flow is experimentally examined in
the magnetic nozzle of a radio-frequency plasma source powered at 13.56 MHz under a …

The performance of an electron cyclotron resonance thruster is analyzed for operation with
argon, krypton, xenon, and water vapor to understand how mass utilization efficiency and …

In the current electric propulsion industry for space applications, two of the main issues
are:(i) the lifetime limitation of the mature technologies, Hall effect thrusters and gridded ion …

A torsional thrust balance has been designed and validated by Surrey Space Centre and
Added Value Solutions UK Ltd. in collaboration with the UK Space Agency. The thrust stand …

Evaluation of alternatives to traditional xenon propellant has become an increasingly
important area of study for electric space propulsion. Myriad thruster configurations and …