Solar electric propulsion

Artistic view of Deep Space 1, showing both the solar panels and ion engine (with blue exhaust), major aspects of this solar electric design. Solar energy may also be temporarily stored in chemical batteries inside the spacecraft bus.
The Dawn spacecraft's xenon tank prior to integration with spacecraft. The xenon was the propellant for the solar-power ion drive of the spacecraft which would go on to orbit two different asteroids in the early 21st century.
Roll-out solar panel tested in Earth Orbit at the International Space Station (ISS), 2017.

Solar electric propulsion (SEP) refers to the combination of solar cells and electric thrusters to propel a spacecraft through outer space.[1] This technology has been exploited in a variety of spacecraft designs by the European Space Agency (ESA), the JAXA (Japanese Space Agency), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and NASA.[1] SEP has a significantly higher specific impulse than chemical rocket propulsion, thus requiring less propellant mass to be launched with a spacecraft. The technology has been evaluated for missions to Mars.[2]

  1. ^ a b Mohon, Lee. "Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP)". NASA. Retrieved 24 April 2016. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ "Solar Electric Propulsion for Mars Exploration". NASA. 1 April 1998. Retrieved 28 March 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.