Russian engineers develop plasma engine with record-breaking service life
A 900 W plasma unit withstood nearly 2000 hours of continuous operation without a decrease in thrust or specific impulse.
The engine was developed by specialists from the Research Institute of Applied Mechanics and Electrodynamics of the Moscow Aviation Institute. The acceleration region was moved outside the ceramic discharge channel, ensuring that the flow of fast particles does not damage its walls.
According to the creators, the unit's service life exceeds 10,000 on-off cycles. It is designed for spacecraft weighing several hundred kilograms, as well as up to a ton or more. The engine will be able to adjust orbits, prevent collisions, maintain satellites in constellations, and ensure subsequent deorbiting after the end of service.
The calculated service life corresponds to five to seven years of satellite operation. The unit is already ready for mass production; adaptation for a specific spacecraft, according to the Moscow Aviation Institute's estimate, will take approximately six months.
