Login here
Register Free
Trending / Space & Astronomy / Solar Electric Propulsion
APR 14, 2015 6:33 PM PDT

Solar Electric Propulsion

WRITTEN BY: Andrew J. Dunlop
Artist's conception of a spacecraft with solar electric propulsion

Solar electric propulsion uses solar panels to power an ion drive. They require no chemical fuel so they are much lighter, can burn indefinitely, and cost about one tenth as much as chemical rockets.
About the Author
Andrew J. Dunlop
Bachelor's (BA/BS/Other)
Andrew J. Dunlop lives and writes in a little town near Boston. He's interested in space, the Earth, and the way that humans and other species live on it.
You May Also Like
MAY 28, 2025
Space & Astronomy
Solving the Moon's Magnetic Mystery
Solving the Moon's Magnetic Mystery
A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) might have solved a decades-old mystery regar ...
Written By: Laurence Tognetti, MSc
JUN 23, 2025
Space & Astronomy
Cosmic Dawn Revealed: Faint Signals Tell a Big Story
Cosmic Dawn Revealed: Faint Signals Tell a Big Story
What can the Cosmic Dawn, which is when scientists hypothesize the first galaxies and stars formed after the Big Bang, t ...
Written By: Laurence Tognetti, MSc
JUL 03, 2025
Space & Astronomy
From Wet to Wasteland: Why Mars Lost Its Chance at Life
From Wet to Wasteland: Why Mars Lost Its Chance at Life
What can the climate history of Mars teach scientists about whether the Red Planet once had the ingredients for life as ...
Written By: Laurence Tognetti, MSc
AUG 15, 2025
Space & Astronomy
How NASA Plans to Confirm Europa Plume Activity
How NASA Plans to Confirm Europa Plume Activity
What can the plumes on Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, teach scientists about Europa potential habitability? This is w ...
Written By: Laurence Tognetti, MSc
AUG 25, 2025
Space & Astronomy
Jupiter's Birth Linked to Meteorite Formation
Jupiter's Birth Linked to Meteorite Formation
What processes were responsible for Jupiter’s formation? This is what a recent study published in Scientific Repor ...
Written By: Laurence Tognetti, MSc
SEP 16, 2025
Space & Astronomy
Martian Sulfur Chemistry May Have Sustained Microbial Life
Martian Sulfur Chemistry May Have Sustained Microbial Life
What can volcanic sulfur on ancient Mars teach scientists about whether microbial life might have existed? This is what ...
Written By: Laurence Tognetti, MSc
Loading Comments...
Content Tags
See more
Multimedia
Space & Astronomy
A Manned Ship With Solar Electric Propulsion
Neuroscience
Touch-Sensing Neurons Are Multitaskers