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The evolutionary development of high specific impulse electric thruster technology

Conference ·
OSTI ID:7041049
; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. NASA, Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH (United States) Sverdrup Technology, Inc., Brook Park, OH (United States)

Electric propulsion flight and technology demonstrations conducted in the USA, Europe, Japan, China, and USSR are reviewed with reference to the major flight qualified electric propulsion systems. These include resistojets, ion thrusters, ablative pulsed plasma thrusters, stationary plasma thrusters, pulsed magnetoplasmic thrusters, and arcjets. Evolutionary mission applications are presented for high specific impulse electric thruster systems. The current status of arcjet, ion, and magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters and their associated power processor technologies are summarized. 114 refs.

Research Organization:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH (United States). Lewis Research Center
OSTI ID:
7041049
Report Number(s):
AIAA-Paper--92-1556; CONF-920373--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English