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NASA Ground Tests Ion Engine

Posted by timothy on from the better-than-the-nea-I-guess dept.

herda05 writes "New Scientist reports from a press release by NASA on a successful ground test of the HiPEP (High Power Electric Propulsion) ion engine, which is the first 'major milestone' for Project Prometheus. Also some pictures and more info on the HiPEP engine."

1 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. Wow... by Bob+Vila's+Hammer · · Score: 1, Redundant

    "This new class of NEP thrusters will offer substantial performance advantages over the ion engine flown on Deep Space 1 in 1999. Overall improvements include up to a factor of 10 or more in power; a factor of two to three in fuel efficiency; a factor of four to five in grid voltage; a factor of five to eight in thruster lifetime; and a 30 percent improvement in overall thruster efficiency. GRC engineers will continue testing and development of this particular thruster model, culminating in performance tests at full power levels of 25 kilowatts.

    All I have to say is damn!, I'm impressed.

    --


    --"The perfect example of the man of action is the suicide." - William Carlos Williams