Electrostatic Thrusters
Electrostatic thrusters are a type of electric propulsion system that use electric fields to accelerate and expel charged particles, typically ions, to generate thrust. These thrusters work by ionizing a propellant gas, such as xenon, and accelerating the resulting ions using an electric field. The accelerated ions are then expelled out of the thruster at high velocities, generating thrust. Electrostatic thrusters are highly efficient and can achieve very high exhaust velocities, making them ideal for long-duration space missions. However, they typically have low thrust-to-power ratios, which limits their use for high-thrust maneuvers.
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