Mass-Produced Hollow Cathodes Will Cost Less

A commercial version of the NASA plasma-contactor hollow-cathode assembly (PC HCA) has been developed. The NASA PC HCA is a highly reliable hollow discharge cathode that is the most thoroughly understood, tested, and mature of all hollow cathodes that have been considered for use in electric spacecraft thrusters. The design of the commercial version preserves all the critical aspects of the technological heritage of the NASA PC HCA necessary for long-term, reliable operation, while incorporating changes that enable mass production at lower cost per unit. Beyond the original intended spacecraft application, the commercial hollow cathodes could prove useful on Earth in plasma research and plasma-based manufacturing processes.