Different Hall thrusters
will have different applications in future
NASA and commercial missions. More and more
companies are beginning to use satellites
with electric propulsion to extend the
operational life of satellites and reduce
launch and operation costs. This produces
savings that can be passed along to
consumers. Lower power Hall thruster
research will extend the life and improve
the performance of modern Hall thrusters.
Advancements in current technology will
enable more complex maneuvers, and lower
cost, longer duration missions for
satellites. In future missions, high-power
Hall thrusters will allow large spacecraft
to perform maneuvers in areas of high
gravity, such as when traveling in the
vicinity of a large planet. The planned
Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) mission to
study Jupiter’s moons Callisto, Ganymede,
and Europa may use Hall thrusters for
transfer maneuvers into and out of orbit
around Jupiter’s moons. With new
high-power, high-velocity Hall thrusters,
many new missions that are not possible with
current technology may be brought within our
reach. Hall thrusters will provide safe,
reliable, and efficient space propulsion in.
|
