Propulsion engine uses air instead of fuel

The European Space Agency (ESA) fires air operations after more than a decade of research.

The new ESA can collect, compress, charge and then release gas molecules, without requiring the use of chemical fuels, Science Alert today reported. All that is needed is some electricity, the energy source can always be produced based on the Sun.

According to the ground test conducted by the ESA team, the engine could provide propulsion for a series of new satellites that operated for many years in orbit around planets like Earth and Mars."The results show that the electric propulsion engine uses air is no longer a hypothesis but has become a viable idea ready to grow and will one day operate in new missions , " Louis Walpot , one of ESA scientists, said.

New propulsion can help satellites operate for many years on Earth's low orbit.(Photo: ESA).

ESA seeks to develop new engines for more than a century. The ESA's GOCE gravity probe satellite has been in operation for more than 5 years using a similar propulsion, although it still relies on 40 kg of xenon propellant fuel.

Although there is no gas molecule in the vacuum environment of the universe, enough low-molecular gas molecules can be collected to provide periodic repulsion for the satellite. The fringes of the atmosphere often reduce the speed of satellites orbiting the orbits and cause them to fall back to Earth, which is why it is necessary to add thrust.

The key to creating new propulsion is to find a way to collect and compress gas molecules that are scarce instead of pushing them away. Charging and ionizing processes play an important role here, providing the necessary acceleration.

The team built an experimental vacuum chamber in Italy, simulating the environment at an altitude of 200 km and a satellite speed of 7.8 km / s. Without valves or complex parts, all they need is electricity to charge gas molecules to accelerate and push them out. A two-tier system designed for more efficient charging.

The rocket propulsion engine is tested with xenon, a nitrogen-oxygen mixture and then only relies on gas molecules in the atmosphere. The team still has a lot of work to do before the system is ready to equip satellites, but this is convincing evidence of its feasibility.