Vacuum arc thruster explained

A vacuum arc thruster (VAT) is a form of electric spacecraft propulsion. It uses a vacuum arc discharge, across an insulator, between two electrodes to produce thrust.^[1] A metal plasma is produced from micrometer-size cathodic spots. Thus, whereas the insulator is used as propellant in a pulsed plasma thruster, in a VAT the metallic cathode is consumed as propellant.

See also

• Pulsed plasma thruster
• Vacuum arc

External links

• Schein . J. . Qi . N. . Binder . R. . Krishnan . M. . Ziemer . J. K. . Polk . J. E. . Anders . A. . Inductive energy storage driven vacuum arc thruster . Review of Scientific Instruments . February 2002 . 73 . 2 . 925–927 . 10.1063/1.1428784 . 2002RScI...73..925S .
• Chowdhury . Satyajit . Kronhaus . Igal . Characterization of Vacuum Arc Thruster Performance in Weak Magnetic Nozzle . Aerospace . 19 June 2020 . 7 . 6 . 82 . 10.3390/aerospace7060082 . 2020Aeros...7...82C . free . 1912.11645 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Lunn . Jonathan . Vacuum Arc Thruster and Method of Operating the Same . WIPO IP Portal . 20 October 2020 . en . 17 November 2016.