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Ion thrusters typically require a significant amount of power to operate effectively, often ranging from a few kilowatts to several megawatts, depending on the specific design and mission requirements. For example, the ion thrusters on NASA's Dawn spacecraft operated at around 1.5 kW each, while larger systems can demand much higher power levels. This energy is used to ionize propellant and accelerate ions to produce thrust, making ion thrusters efficient for long-duration space missions.

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Is it possible to use ion thrusters as tony stark did?

tony stark is a fictional characteryes^ that is true, however, ion thrusters do exist. nasa made an ion engine, or thruster. how do they work? like this:Ion thrusters use beams of ions (electrically charged atoms or molecules) to create thrust in accordance with momentum conservation. The method of accelerating the ions varies, but all designs take advantage of the charge/mass ratio of the ions. This ratio means that relatively small potential differences can create very high exhaust velocities. This reduces the amount of reaction mass or fuel required, but increases the amount of specific power required compared to chemical rockets. Ion thrusters are therefore able to achieve extremely high specific impulses. The drawback of the low thrust is low spacecraft acceleration, because the mass of current electric power units is directly correlated with the amount of power given. This low thrust makes ion thrusters unsuited for launching spacecraft into orbit, but they are ideal for in-space propulsion applications.Various ion thrusters have been designed and they all generally fit under two categories. The thrusters are categorized as either electrostatic or electromagnetic. The main difference is how the ions are accelerated.Electrostatic ion thrusters use the coulumb force and are categorized as accelerating the ions in the direction of the electric field.Electromagnetic ion thrusters use the Lorentz force to accelerate the ions.Power supplies for ion thrusters are usually solar panels, but at sufficiently large distances from the Sun, nuclear power is used. In each case the power supply mass is essentially proportional to the peak power that can be supplied, and they both essentially give, for this application, no limit to the energy.Electric thrusters tend to produce low thrust, which results in low acceleration. Using 1 g is 9.81 m/s/s; F = m a or a = F/mAn NSTAR thruster producing a thrust (=force) of 92 mN[7] will accelerate a satellite with a mass of 1000 kg by 0.092 / 1000 = 0.000092 m/s/s (or 9.38E-6 g).Electrostatic ion thrusters


What has the author C Collett written?

C. Collett has written: 'Fabrication and verification testing of ETM 30 cm diameter ion thrusters' -- subject(s): Electric propulsion, Ion propulsion, Ion thrusters


What drawback of ion propulsion?

A major limiting factor of ion thrusters is their small thrust, which however is generated at a high propellant efficiency (mass utilisation). The efficiency comes from the high exhaust velocity, which in turn demands a lot of energy, and the performance is ultimately limited by the available spacecraft power.


What has the author Thomas A Stuart written?

Thomas A. Stuart has written: 'A study of ignition and simulation circuits for arcjet thrusters' -- subject(s): Arc-jet rocket engines 'Study of a high voltage ion engine power supply' -- subject(s): Ion engines, Performance tests, Power converters, Voltage converters (DC to DC), Breadboard models, Spacecraft power supplies


What has the author John M Homa written?

John M Homa has written: 'Ion beamlet steering for two-grid electrostatic thrusters' -- subject(s): Ion bombardment, Electrostatics


What gas does a rocket ionize while moving up towards space to thrust its speed?

Ion thrusters, which are used by rockets and spacecrafts, use inert gasses to propel them upwards. Most thrusters use xenon gas, but other gases are sometimes used as well, including krypton and argon.Please see the related link for more detailed information regarding ion propulsion.


What is xenon used for today?

Today, xenon is used in various applications such as lighting (xenon flash lamps), anesthesia (xenon gas anesthesia), aerospace industry (thrusters), and as a propellant in ion thrusters for spacecraft. It is also utilized in certain medical imaging techniques like MRI and CT scans.


Can Ion Thrusters work in Earth's Atmosphere?

The answer is definitely yes. I have designed, built and operated many different styles. visit my channel on You Tube: 1011basic. All of my ion thruster designs can be built by everyone that is interested or studying the electrical sciences. They are good science projects. BOB


What is the maximum thrust of an ion thruster?

First of all, the speed of light needs 10googleplexso the speed of an ion thruster might be at least 1 out of 1000000000000000000000 of that speed so if you take that into mind you get at least 400010 pounds of thrust. But can somebody add to this, i dont now if that is right or not.


What happens to xenon gas in an ion thruster?

In an ion thruster, xenon gas is ionized by stripping electrons from its atoms to create positively charged ions. These ions are then accelerated and ejected at high speeds, generating thrust. Xenon is preferred for ion thrusters due to its high atomic mass and low reactivity, allowing for efficient propulsion.


Can plasma be used as a fuel for space craft?

No. It is difficult and impractical to store anything as plasma. Some spacecraft use ion thrusters, which propel themselves with a jet of plasma, but the propellant is stored as ordinary gas or liquid.


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