Ion Thruster

An ion thruster is a type of spacecraft propulsion that uses beams of ions (charged particles) to create thrust. The ions are generated by ionizing a neutral gas (usually xenon) and accelerating the resulting ions using an electric field. The ions are then expelled out of the back of the spacecraft, creating thrust in the opposite direction. Ion thrusters are highly efficient and can provide a small amount of thrust for a long period of time, making them ideal for long-duration space missions. However, they have a low thrust-to-weight ratio, which means they are not suitable for launching spacecraft into orbit.

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Ion Thruster

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