This micro-pulse plasma engine created for the movement of miniature CubeSat devices. It operates with a lightning-fast electric arc between two electrodes. This evaporates the propellent of the engine in a charged plasma, which is then accelerated in an electromagnetic field established between the electrodes.
Created by Mars Space Ltd and Clyde Space (UK) for ESA. The 2-watt 42-pulse plasma engine is designed for space flight. During the test, it was possible to demonstrate more than a million pulses.
It was created for a wide range of applications, including compensation for resistance in low orbits, maintaining orbits, maneuvering in flight and transfer in small orbits. The engine can also serve as a device for adjusting the orbital path of the apparatus, gradually reducing the orbital altitude to atmospheric re-passage. The weight of the device reaches only 280 grams.
