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New Ion Engine Being Tested

Posted by Zonk on from the warp-factor-one-engage dept.

Dr Cool writes "A new design of spacecraft ion engine has been tested by the European Space Agency which dramatically improves performance over present thrusters and marks a major step forward in space propulsion capability. Ion engines are a form of electric propulsion and work by accelerating a beam of positively charged particles (or ions) away from the spacecraft using an electric field. ESA is currently using electric propulsion on its Moon mission, SMART-1. The new engine is over ten times more fuel efficient than the one used on SMART-1."

8 of 217 comments (clear)

  1. First Post by Martix · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Mahahahahahaha :P

  2. finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    finally i got to be the first one to comment on a story hehe.

    1. Re:finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Sorry mate, look like you even failed there.

    2. Re:finally by knapper_tech · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      I was going to mod you down, but I thought it was just hillarious that you couldn't even pull off a talentless display of douchebagness.

      --
      "There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell them." ~ Louis Armstrong
  3. DUPEDY DUPE, DUPE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Let me be the first to point out that this is a DUPE.

  4. mod 0p by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    FirSt avOid going

  5. Re:cool but by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    info_accuagent1@yahoo.it
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    info_accuagent100@yahoo.it
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    feeding spammers some stuff. please mod down.

  6. mod b0p by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    share. *BSD is Th1s very moment, driven out by the Like they are Come