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 …

HALL thrusters [1, 2] are space propulsion devices that use crossed electric and magnetic
fields to ionize and accelerate propellant atoms to high exhaust velocities. A self-consistent …

Spokes are azimuthally propagating perturbations in the plasma discharge of Hall effect
thrusters (HETs) that travel in the E x B direction. The mechanisms for spoke formation are …

Reliable measurements of electron properties are key for the validation of simulations of Hall
thrusters and similar plasma sources. In this paper, a recently-developed incoherent …

The impact of facility conductivity on Hall effect thruster cathode coupling is experimentally
investigated. The 3.4 kW Aerojet Rocketdyne T-140 Hall effect thruster operating at a …

During the early development stages of Hall thruster technology, plasma research and
propulsion advancements centered primarily on 300-V, 1600-s specific impulse operation …

AN emerging hurdle in high-power Hall thruster development has been the use of xenon as
the propellant of choice. Whereas xenon has several advantages as a propellant, namely …

The particle-based coupling between background gas flows in vacuum test facilities and
neutral ingestion into Hall effect thrusters is investigated. An analytical model of the facility …

To meet the growing demand for all-electric propulsion satellite, a 6-kW-class Hall thruster
was newly fabricated and tested in laboratory. A Hall thruster that has an annular ceramic …

Despite the considerable flight heritage of the Hall thruster, the interaction of its plume with
the spacecraft remains an important integration issue. Because in-flight data fully …