Levitation and Propulsion Unit-2 (LPU-2) is a thrust generating device able to generate resultant force to create motion without mass flow and/or momentum exchange. The technology primarily uses electromagnetic energy, permanent magnetic repulsive energy and kinetic energy, to generate internal resultant thrust or motion. This thrust generating device comprises of one or two rapid action enable and high driving force electromagnet moving magnet linear actuators with minimum moving parts. The technology mainly leverages on compression and expansion of compressed repulsive magnetic flux. Through regulation and systematic control of current to each electromagnet, the device is able to generate resultant force or motion without external interaction.

Omnivorous solar thermal thrusters and adjustable cooling structures are disclosed. In one aspect, a solar thermal rocket engine includes a solar thermal thruster configured to receive solar energy and one or more propellants, and heat the one or more propellants using the solar energy to generate thrust. The solar thermal thruster is further configured to use a plurality of different propellant types, either singly or in combination simultaneously. The solar thermal thruster is further configured to use the one or more propellants in both liquid and gaseous states. Related structures can include valves and variable-geometry cooling channels in thermal contact with a thruster wall.

A microthruster for controlling small spacecraft and methods for manufacturing the same are disclosed. Embodiments of the microthruster include one or more nozzle throats with cross sectional areas of at most 20 μm.sup.2, and some with 6 μm.sup.2. Some embodiments include heaters that heat water in one or more reservoirs to increase pressure in the reservoirs and eject the water from the one or more nozzle throats. Some embodiments are manufactured by etching channels into one or more layers of material, and still further embodiments are manufactured by forming the nozzle throats and/or the reservoirs between two layers of material. Some microthruster embodiments are flat in shape with the nozzle throats ejecting water out the thin sides of the microthruster. Still further embodiments are formed by etching channels into one layer of material, printing a heater onto another layer of material, and bonding the two layers together.

A fusion drive magnetically confining a plasma in a stable plectonemic minimum-energy Taylor states formed from the merging of a plurality of plectonemic Taylor states. Magnetic reconnection converts magnetic energy into ion heating to attain high temperatures before compression. The plasma configuration is then compressed to net gain in a peristaltic magnetic nozzle arrangement. The fusion drive supports generation of electrical power with inductive direct electric or thermal conversion methods.

In a spacecraft for operating a thruster that includes a microwave source, a resonant cavity, and a source of propellant which the thruster converts to hot gas and directs via a nozzle to generate thrust, a method includes operating the thruster in an ignition mode in which the microwave source outputs power at a first rate, and operating the thruster in a propulsion mode in which the microwave source outputs power at a second rate higher than the first rate.

A system and method for generating a force from a voltage difference applied across a plurality of electrically conductive surfaces. The applied voltage difference creates an electric field resulting in an electrostatic pressure force, a net divergence in E-field force, or both, acting on an object comprising the apparatus of, or using the method of, the invention. The net resulting force on an object may be characterized by a force vector determined by the selection of one or more of 1) the shape, size and geometric arrangement of the conductive surfaces; 2) the value of the applied voltages; and 3) the permittivities of any dielectric materials disposed in the electric field. Asymmetries in the resulting electrostatic pressure force vectors, and the resulting divergence in E-field force, result in a net resulting force acting on the object. The object may be a thruster or other force-applying object or system.

A magnetic field propulsion unit includes a magnetic field generating device with multiple conductive lines conduct a current to generate a magnetic field; a contact breaker arrangement individually transitions each of the multiple conductive lines from a conductive state to a non-conductive state; an energy supply unit provides the magnetic field generating device with electrical energy; and a control unit controls the energy supply unit so that energy supply to each individual conductive line is controlled and control the contact breaker arrangement. The multiple conductive lines are arranged along a longitudinal axis. The control unit supplies a first conductive line with electrical energy so that a first magnetic field surrounding the first conductive line is generated, transitions the first conductive line to a non-conductive state, and supplies a second conductive line with electrical energy so that a second magnetic field is generated.

ThermaSat™ propulsion system uses water as a safe and non-explosive propellant, and which is unpressurized at liftoff. Utilizing solar thermal propulsion, the compact and efficient capacitor heats water to steam to produce high thrust and total impulse. The advanced optical system allows for the thermal capacitor to charge through solar power alone with no protruding concentrators or power draw from the main bus. Additional solar panels, body mounted to the ThermaSat, provide auxiliary heating of the thermal capacitor when not directly incident to sunlight to promote non-sun pointing operations.

A method of de-spinning a rotor of a propulsion system includes providing one or more spinning rotors rotatably mounted on a frame with a bearing having a bearing outer race, bearing balls, and bearing inner race; providing a force mechanism coupled with the one or more spinning rotors for applying a load to the one or more spinning rotors; and loading an outer portion of the outer bearing race, bearing ball, and inner bearing race of the bearing, a load on the outer portion of the bearing race, bearing ball, and inner bearing race of the bearing corresponding to a force applied to the one or more spinning rotors by the drive mechanism. The one or more spinning rotors de-spin at a rate corresponding to the load on the bearing balls.

A system includes a first wire adapted to transmit a first current defined by a first waveform comprising a positive current value, 11, for a first period of time, no current for a second period of time, a negative current value, -I1, for a third period of time and no current for a fourth period of time, wherein the first period, second period, third period and fourth period are all approximately equal in duration and wherein the first waveform repeats itself, and a second wire generally parallel to the first wire and separated by a distance, d, wherein the second wire is adapted to transmit a second current defined by a second waveform comprising the first waveform time shifted by an amount of time approximately equal to the first period of time, wherein each period of time is approximately equal to an amount of time required for light to travel the distance, d.