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NASA NTRS · 19650013652

Space environment facility for electric propulsion systems research

Finke, R. C.·Holmes, A. D.·Keller, T. A.
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Abstract

Space environment simulation facility for testing of ion and plasma thrustors

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PLASMA ENGINEION ENGINEENVIRONMENT SIMULATIONTHRUSTORTEST FACILITYSPACE ENVIRONMENT

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Finke, R. C., Holmes, A. D., Keller, T. A.. 1965-05-01. Space environment facility for electric propulsion systems research. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19650013652

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Within the past 3 years, electric thrust devices have passed from the first exploratory feasibility experiments to the flight-engineered hardware phase. This rapid surge of development has been punctuated by equally rapid improvements in the performance figures of electrical thrust devices. The most spectacular advances were made in ion engine technology. Total energy expenditure per ion pair has gone from 35,000 ev in 1958 to about 600 ev at the present time leading to power utilization efficiencies of up to 80 per cent, depending upon the specific impulse. The percentage of the particles intercepting the accelerating and focusing electrodes has been reduced from more than 50 per cent in 1958 to less than 0.01 per cent at the present time. Great improvements in ion current per unit area have also been realized, leading to greater thrust "pressures."

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