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Tiny Ion Engine Runs On Water

Posted by timothy on from the instant-ice-tea-doubles-the-range dept.

symbolset writes "Discovery News is covering a project by two engineers from the University of Michigan to pair cubesats with tiny ion engines for inexpensive interplanetary exploration. The tiny plasma drive called the CubeSat Ambipolar Thruster (CAT) will ionize water and use it as propellant with power provided by solar cells. In addition to scaling down the size of ion engines they hope to bring down the whole cost of development and launch to under $200,000."

4 of 103 comments (clear)

  1. Better than Jesus... by ElectroVaping · · Score: 5, Funny

    Jesus could only walk on water this thing runs on water. That is no small feat...

    1. Re:Better than Jesus... by M0j0_j0j0 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Ye, but can this thing turn water into wine, ye Jesus wins!

  2. Re:No, it runs on sunlight. by interval1066 · · Score: 4, Funny

    You'd think that the Fremen with all their technology would find a way to scoop it up and funnel it down to Arrakis then.

    --
    Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
  3. Re:No, it runs on sunlight. by The+Mighty+Buzzard · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dunno about rocket scientists but they sound like damned fine sysadmin material.

    --
    Violence is like duct tape. If it doesn't solve the problem, you didn't use enough.