The purpose of this review and an accompanying review, CPTR 96-64 'Electric Propulsion for Spacecraft Applications', is to present an overview of the current field of space electric propulsion technology. This review focuses on the operating principles and current areas of development and application of specific electric thruster systems. More than 300 electric propulsion devices have heen used on over 100 spacecraft over the last 32 years and a significant increase in usage is expected over the next decade. Advancements in electric propulsion related technologies and thruster design improvements, based on extensive ground and flight test results, have brought some electric propulsion devices to a high level of technological maturity. Recent emphasis has primarily been on the development and use of resistojets, arcjets, various electrostatic thrusters, Hall effect thrusters, pulsed plasma thrusters, and magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters. For select missions, replacing current chemical propulsion systems with high performance electric propulsion systems can provide substantial mass and cost savings, increased orbiting lifetimes, and increased mission capabilities/flexibility.


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