Hall Thrusters
Hall thrusters are a type of electric propulsion system used in spacecraft to provide thrust. They work by ionizing a propellant, usually xenon gas, and accelerating the ions using an electric field. The accelerated ions are then expelled out of the thruster, creating thrust. Hall thrusters are known for their high specific impulse, which means they can provide a high amount of thrust per unit of propellant consumed. They are commonly used in geostationary satellites, deep space probes, and other spacecraft that require high efficiency propulsion systems. However, they have a relatively low thrust-to-weight ratio, which limits their use in certain applications.
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