A vehicle comprising a structure, a plurality of heating sources, and a transport mechanism. The structure is comprised of multiple materials, a composite such that some of the material constituents can be extracted leaving behind others via application of energy (such as de-alloying). The extracted material or materials are configured to be re-purposed into a propellant. The plurality of heating elements surrounds or is embedded within the structure configured to convert the material into the propellant. The transport mechanism is configured to transport the propellant from the structure to a reservoir or to the propulsion system.

A system and method for generating a force from a voltage difference applied across at least one electrically conductive surface. The applied voltage difference creates an electric field resulting in an electrostatic pressure force acting on at least one surface of an object. Asymmetries in the resulting electrostatic pressure force vectors result in a net resulting electrostatic pressure force acting on the object. The magnitude of the net resulting electrostatic pressure force is a function of the geometry of the electrically conductive surfaces, the applied voltage, and the dielectric constant of any material present in the gap between electrodes. The invention may be produced on a nanoscale using nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes. The invention may be utilized to provide a motivating force to an object. A non-limiting use case example is the use of electrostatic pressure force apparatus as a thruster to propel a spacecraft through a vacuum.

An ion beam generator includes an emission electrode, an extraction electrode, and an electricity generator. The emission electrode includes a substrate and a plurality of nanowires extending away from the substrate, substantially towards the extraction electrode, the nanowires having a length of 50 nm to 50 μm. The emission electrode has a source of ions including a sheet of ionic liquid formed on the substrate and at least partially immersing the nanowires. The nanowires and the substrate are electrically insulating or semiconducting, and the electricity generator is connected to the sheet of ionic liquid. The emission electrode is thus capable of sending ion beams from the ionic liquid to the extraction electrode.

A Hall thruster includes an annular discharge region and an annular cathode concentric to the annular discharge region.

One example embodiment includes one or more current-controlled electrodes exposed to a fluid and configured to generate ions in the fluid within an electric field, one or more current-controlling elements having one or more current-limiting elements configured to limit an amount of current permitted in the one or more current-controlled electrodes, and one or more current-changing elements configured to change a limit on the amount of current permitted in the one or more current-controlled electrodes, and an amount of ions generated in the fluid is based on the amount of current permitted in the one or more current-controlled electrodes as regulated by the one or more current-limiting elements and the one or more current-changing elements.

Provided are an ion thruster and a fabrication method thereof. The method for fabricating the ion thruster comprises: stacking and laminating a plurality of prefabricated ceramic chips (p) to form a front portion (51); stacking and laminating a plurality of prefabricated green ceramic chips (p) to form a rear portion (B); assembling the front portion (51) and the rear portion (B) and placing in a sintering mold, and allowing the front portion (51) to be closely fitted with a tapered portion (b1) of the rear portion (B); placing a main cathode (1) into a cathode hole (k1) on the front portion and filling the cathode hole (k1) with a ceramic slurry to fix the main cathode (1); and placing the sintering mold in a heating furnace for sintering. For the ion thruster, a modular processing method is adopted. A method of stacking a plurality of prefabricated green ceramic chips (p) together and laminating them is used when each module is manufactured. The present application has the advantages of a simple process and low cost, and the fabricated ion thruster is small in size and has good high-temperature resistance.

Systems and methods for providing a heaterless hollow cathode for use in electric propulsion devices is presented. According to one aspect the cathode includes a thermionic emitter having a constricted upstream inlet compared to a downstream outlet of the emitter. The emitter is arranged downstream a hollow cathode tube. Constriction of the upstream inlet is provided by an inner cylindrical hollow space at an upstream region of the emitter having a diameter that is smaller compared to a diameter of an inner cylindrical hollow space at a downstream region of the emitter. A hollow transition region having a varying diameter connects the upstream region to the downstream region. According to another aspect, a ratio of the diameters of the two cylindrical hollow spaces reduces penetration of electric field, and therefore of electric discharge, into the upstream region of the emitter during operation.

In one embodiment, an air-scoop includes an air inlet that air molecules enter the air-scoop through at an orbital speed when the air-scoop is moving through an atmosphere at the orbital speed. The air-scoop also includes a rotor that is rotated by a motor at a rotational speed, and the rotor includes multiple rotatable blade stages. A first one of the rotatable blade stages has a blade configuration that maximizes transparency of the first one of the rotatable blade stages to air molecules entering the air-scoop through the air inlet at the orbital speed when the rotor is rotating at the rotational speed. A last one of the rotatable blade stages has a blade configuration that maximizes opacity of the last one of the rotatable blade stages to air molecules in the air-scoop flowing directionally toward the air inlet when the rotor is rotating at the rotational speed.

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.

The present disclosure relates generally to thrust vector control mechanisms. Mechanisms are provided comprising support and attachment members for securing a thruster or other object to an additional object and wherein the thruster or object is provided with freedom of movement. At least one motor is provided to control movement and positioning of a thruster or similar object.