Ion Propulsion Rocket Reaches the Moon
Poster: Aron Schatz
Posted on November 16, 2004 at 5:58:23 AM
The Europen space people made the first successful flight of an ion engine. America should be researching advanced technology like this as well.
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The engine does not combust fuel; rather it splits atoms with electricity to get ions, accelerates them at high speed, and then ejects them, driving the spacecraft forward. SMART-1 generates its electricity by converting sunlight with outsize solar arrays that give the spacecraft a 45-foot wingspan.