Electric (plasma) propulsion devices have been used for applications such as station-keeping and orbit transfer, in place of chemical rockets, because they provide a higher specific impulse. Detailed ...

and then using electric fields to accelerate the resulting ions. The ions, now forming a high-speed plasma beam, push the spacecraft forward,” explained the researchers of a new study.

"Electric propulsion works by ionizing a neutral gas, usually xenon, and then using electric fields to accelerate the resulting ions. The ions, now forming a high-speed plasma beam, push the ...