Green Electric Monopropellant (GEM)-Fueled Pulsed Plasma Thruster

  • Magazine Article
  • TBMG-33909
Published March 01, 2019 by Tech Briefs Media Group in United States
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  • English

NASA required a rocket thruster able to produce a number of pulses at high specific impulse at a relatively low voltage (~300 to 400V). The key problem was that existing propellants for liquid-fueled pulsed plasma thrusters (LPPTs) required high voltages to ablate and accelerate the propellant. The Green Electric Monopropellant (GEM)-fueled Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT) is a rocket thruster that is able to produce a number of pulses at high specific impulse at a relatively low voltage (~300 to 400V).