Air-Breathing Ion Engines

Abstract

Even if artificial satellites circulating on low Earth orbits are ideal for multiple tasks due to low elevation, they can only be used to a limited extent, because atmospheric braking leads to rapid loss of height and thus short lifetime. The ion thrusters using upper atmospheric gases can be the solution for the lifetime problem. The power can be provided by solar cells. These engines can be effective at altitudes of around 200 km, and in the future it is possible to reduce the operating height down to 80 km. In this work, we review the history of the new types of ion engines and their expectations, and examine their application in military, civilian and scientific fields.