The dipole drive is a new propulsion system which uses ambient space plasma as propellant, thereby avoiding the need to carry any of its own. The dipole drive is constructed from two parallel screens, one charged positive, the other negative, creating an electric field between them with no significant field outside. Ambient solar wind protons entering the dipole drive field from the negative screen side are reflected out, with the angle of incidence equaling the angle of reflection, thereby providing lift if the screen is placed at an angle to the plasma wind. Protons entering from the positive side are accelerated out the negative screen, producing thrust. The dipole drive can achieve more than 3 mN/kWe in interplanetary space and better than 10 mN/kWe in Earth, Venus, Mars, or Jupiter orbit and offers potential as a means of achieving ultra-high velocities necessary for interstellar flight.

An apparatus for ionizing and accelerating a fluid comprises at least a pair of spaced-apart electrodes arranged coaxially and each comprising a planar, electrically conductive body locating a plurality of apertures arranged to substantially uniformly distribute electric charge across the body and to permit passage of the particles of the fluid therethrough. At least a leading one of the electrodes of the adjacent pair includes one or more electrically conductive projections electrically coupled to and extending generally axially in a common direction from a common side of the electrode body. The projections are arranged at spaced locations on the side of the electrode body. The projections of the leading electrode point towards a trailing one of the electrodes and define a direction of movement of the fluid.

An apparatus generates energetic particles and generates a plasma of a vaporized solid material and gaseous precursors for the application of coatings to surfaces of a substrate by way of condensation of plasma and for electric propulsion applications.

A system can include an emitter structure connected to a reservoir containing a working material, wherein the working material is in electrical communication with a first electrode, an electrode opposing the emitter structure across a gap; and optionally a frame holding the emitter structure and the electrode.

Various examples related to a deployable gridded ion thruster are described. A deployable gridded ion thruster can include: a thruster body including an ion generating unit; and an expandable discharge chamber configured to expand from a stored configuration to a deployed configuration. The expandable discharge chamber can include a chamber wall having a first geometric shape compressed within the thruster body when in the stored configuration and a second geometric shape expanded outward from the thruster body when in the deployed configuration. Also described herein are methods of operation for a deployable gridded ion thruster.

An intake system for an atmosphere-breathing electric thruster is disclosed, comprising an inlet for inflow of atmosphere particles, an outlet for coupling to the thruster for fueling collected atmosphere particles to the thruster, a collector arranged between the inlet and the outlet comprising multiple channels for allowing inflowing atmosphere particles to pass through the channels towards the outlet, the channels defining an inlet area and a length, wherein a position of at least part of the channels is adjustable to alter at least one of the inlet area and the length.

An ion powered assembly includes a collector assembly and an emitter assembly, comprising a plurality of conductive emitter wires supported by the emitter wire support structure. A control circuit is operatively connected to at least the emitter and collector assemblies and includes a power supply configured to provide voltage to the emitter and collector assemblies.

An Electrostatic Ion Thruster for propulsion of spacecraft, comprising an ionization chamber with a central axis, a propellent gas inlet port, an inlet, an exit and an igniter between the propellent gas inlet port and the inlet of the ionization chamber, a propellent gas source, an ion accelerator arranged at the exit of the ionization chamber opposite the propellent gas inlet port in the direction of the central axis, the ion accelerator including at least three acceleration grids spaced apart from each other in the direction of the central axis and each extending perpendicular to the central axis, an ignition circuit electrically connected to the igniter, at least three high frequency coils surrounding at least a part of the ionization chamber, a high frequency ionization power generating unit electrically connected to the high frequency coils, and a polyphase high voltage high frequency power generating unit electrically connected to the acceleration grids.

An electrospray emitter can include an emitter structure connected to a reservoir containing a working material in electrical communication with a first electrode and an electrode separated from an apex of the emitter structure by a distance, wherein a surface of the grid electrode proximal the emitter structure comprises at least one coating.

The invention relates to an ion thruster, comprising: a chamber, a reservoir, comprising a solid propellant (PS), housed in the chamber and comprising a conductive jacket provided with an orifice; means for forming an ion-electron plasma in the chamber, which means are able to sublime the solid propellant in the reservoir, then to generate said plasma in the chamber from the sublimed propellant coming from the reservoir through the orifice; a means for extracting and accelerating the ions and electrons of the plasma out of the chamber, which means comprises at least two grids at one end (E) of the chamber; a radiofrequency AC voltage source for generating a radiofrequency signal comprised between the plasma frequencies of the ions and of the electrons, arranged in series with a capacitor and connected, by one of its outputs and via this capacitor, to one of the grids, with the other grid being connected to the other output of said voltage source;
said means for extracting and accelerating and said voltage source making it possible to form, at the output of the chamber, an ion-electron beam.