NASA Glenn researchers prepare for an ion engine wear test of the NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT). This advanced system will use electrically charged xenon gas atoms (ions) and electrical power to drive future spacecraft. NEXT is a new alternative to chemical propulsion and could revolutionize the way we send science missions deeper into the solar system.
NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster – Commercial ( NEXT-C) fired for the first time recently inside a vacuum chamber at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The thruster is undergoing performance testing to verify it can withstand the extreme launch vibrations and hot and cold temperatures of spaceflight.
3/26/2020 · NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster being tested in a vacuum chamber. Credit: NASA The impact is expected to change Didymos B’s orbital velocity by about a half millimeter per second.
Gridded Ion Thrusters (NEXT-C) | Glenn Research Center | NASA, NEXT (ion thruster) – Wikipedia, NASA – Ion Propulsion | NASA, NASA – Ion Propulsion | NASA
