An ion thruster, ion drive, or ion engine is a form of electric propulsion used for spacecraft propulsion. An ion thruster creates a cloud of positive ions from a neutral gas by ionizing it to …

The most common propellant used in ion propulsion is xenon, which is easily ionized and has a high atomic mass, thus generating a desirable level of thrust when ions are accelerated.

Nov 13, 2025 · Ion drives operate by removing electrons from neutral atoms—typically xenon or krypton—to produce positively charged ions, which are then accelerated by electric or …

May 3, 2024 · Unlike chemical rockets that throw out gasses for propulsion, ion engines are powered by individual atoms, which makes them much more fuel efficient and allows satellites …

Jan 4, 2024 · An ion engine is a type of electrostatic propulsion system that generates thrust by electrostatically accelerating plasma (a state of ionized gas). They are mainly used to provide …

An ion drive, or ion propulsion system, is an advanced form of spacecraft propulsion that uses ions - charged particles - as the primary means of generating thrust.

In spaceflight, an ion thruster or drive is a form of electric propulsion used by spacecraft in the vacuum of Space. It works by creating positively charged atoms or ions, which are accelerated …

Aug 25, 2025 · Ion drives are electric propulsion systems that push charged particles out the back to move spacecraft forward. Instead of burning fuel, these engines use xenon gas and …

Nov 3, 2015 · Once charged, an ion will want to move in relation to a magnetic field. That's at the heart of ion drives. But certain atoms are better suited for this.

Researchers from MIT have flown a plane without moving parts for the first time. It is powered by an ‘ion drive’ which uses high powered electrodes to ionise and accelerate air particles,...