The ion drive is perhaps the most colorful of the new in-space propulsion techniques, due to photons emitted from recombined ions and electrons in the exhaust of the acceleration craft, operation ion engines emit a science-fiction-like blue glow (see Figure 11.1). It is among the capable and versatile space propulsion systems ever devised, and, at least in its early incarnations, makes use of plentiful sunlight as its power source.
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© 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
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(2007). The Ion Trial. In: Living Off the Land in Space. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-68316-4_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-68316-4_11
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