The invention relates to space engineering, in particular, to electric propulsion systems (EP) with electric rocket engines with electrodeless plasma source and acceleration stage using a wide variety of substances as a propellant, designed mainly for installation onboard a spacecraft for transferring it from parking orbit to the target orbit, orbit maintenance, attitude control, altitude control, unloading attitude control systems, maneuvers between orbits, and de-orbiting. The bi-directional wave plasma thruster for spacecraft consists of a gas discharge chamber defining thrust axis, antenna, RF-generator module electrically coupled with antenna, magnetic systems, wherein the gas discharge chamber is configured open to outer atmosphere from two opposite end-faces to form two thrust vectors opposite in direction and having common axis being the axis of the gas discharge chamber, while the antenna is on the outer side of the gas discharge chamber and is surrounded by a ring of dielectric material from its outer side, and there is one magnetic system on each opposite end of the gas discharge chamber, while the gas discharge chamber has a gas dynamic connection line with a propellant supply and storage system by means of two radial gas feedthroughs tightly connected to the gas discharge chamber in two places upstream of the magnetic systems. The technical result is the reduction of thruster weight and dimensions, increase of the specific thrust and specific impulse per consumed power unit, elimination of parasitic discharges damaging thruster and spacecraft structure components, elimination of power losses on the antenna-plasma electromagnetic coupling line, elimination of electromagnetic radiation to the propulsion system components and spacecraft structure components resulting in spacecraft rotation in space.

Chamber bottom for a plasma thruster making it possible to combine several functions in a single piece and, in particular, to fasten certain insulating parts of the plasma thruster, the chamber bottom having, in a single piece, a chamber bottom surface for closing an annular chamber formed by the chamber bottom and at least one insulating part attached to the chamber bottom, and at least a first set of tabs including fastening tabs for fastening the at least one insulating part to the chamber bottom.

A magnetic nozzle having a converging/diverging contour shape that converts the thermal energy of a propellant into directed kinetic energy, but uses magnetic fields instead of a physical boundary to direct the flow of particles.

Electroaerodynamic devices and their methods of operation are disclosed. In one embodiment, ions are formed by dielectric barrier discharge using a time varying voltage differential applied between a first electrode and a second electrode. The ions are then accelerated in a downstream direction using a second voltage differential applied between a third electrode and the first and/or second electrodes, where the third electrode is located down stream from the first and second electrodes. The ions may then collide with naturally charged molecules and/or atoms within a fluid to accelerate the fluid in the downstream to create an ionic wind and an associated thrust.

According to some embodiments, a system for widening and densifying a scrape-off layer (SOL) in a field reversed configuration (FRC) fusion reactor is disclosed. The system includes a gas box at one end of the reactor including a gas inlet system and walls of suitable heat bearing materials. The system further includes an exit orifice adjoining the gas box, wherein the exit orifice has a controllable radius and length to allow plasma to flow out from the gas box to populate the SOL with the plasma. The system may also include fusion products, which decrease in speed in the plasma in the SOL, allowing energy to be extracted and converted into thrust or electrical power and further allowing ash to be extracted to reduce neutron emissions and maintain high, steady-state fusion power.

The engine includes a chamber having an intake and an output for a fluid; a first enclosure configured to contain a source material; a system for at least partially ionizing the source material; and an ion accelerator configured to accelerate the ionized source material towards the chamber so as to cause the fusion of atomic nuclei of the ionized source material with atomic nuclei of the fluid.

The invention relates to a solid or liquid propellant (2) tank (1) for a thruster, the tank (1) comprising means for forming a gas (9) in the tank, the tank (1) having an opening (4) of surface area S for the extraction of a flow (20) of the propellant gas from the tank (1). According to the invention, the tank (1) comprises a propellant gas flow on-off control system comprising a grid (6) arranged opposite the opening (4) of the tank (1), a first thermal regulation system (11, 21) for heating the gas (9) in the tank and a second thermal regulation system (12, 22) for heating the grid (6), said grid (6) including holes of total surface area greater than the surface area S of the opening of the tank (1).

A thruster has a first stage and a second stage. The first stage is a plasma source that outputs a plasma. The second stage is an accelerator. In one embodiment, the second stage is a plasma accelerator that accelerates the plasma. In another embodiment, the second stage is an ion accelerator that accelerates the ions from the plasma.

The present disclosure provides a thruster device. The device includes a force-generating element mounted to a housing. The element is configured to generate a thrust force for propelling the housing. The element including a first electrode connected to a first input terminal of a power source. A second electrode is spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the first electrode and connected to a second input terminal of the power source. The second electrode includes a second longitudinal axis oriented parallelly to a first longitudinal axis. A dielectric medium is disposed between the electrodes. Upon receiving field emission condition, charged particles available at the first electrode accelerate towards the second electrode for generating a thrust force along a direction of movement of the charged particles. The thrust force is generated when the predetermined distance between the electrodes is shorter than a Rindler horizon defined by the charged particles during acceleration.

The invention provides an electrothermal RF plasma production system and thruster design, and associated components, that may be used in terrestrial applications and/or miniaturized to the mass, volume, and power budget of Cube Satellites (CubeSats) to meet the propulsion needs of the small satellite (˜5 to ˜500 kg) constellations and larger satellite buses.