Is NASA using ion power in its spacecraft?
A. NASA has been working on ion propulsion and nuclear propulsion technologies for decades, and ion thrusters are commonly used on satellites to provide gentle “station-keeping” nudges to keep them in the right orbit. In October 1998, NASA launched the Deep Space 1 spacecraft to perform an asteroid flyby later in 1999. It was a virtual test bed of new, exotic technology, including the first ion drive which supplied the main thrust for the voyage. Ion motors sound exotic, and they are, but they aren’t in the league of “warp drive” or other stock propulsion systems used in science fiction stories. Still, the name does have a certain, mysterious, ring to it! Learn more about ion engines by clicking on the link below.
