Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Ecole Polytechnique

Astrium Sas

Airbus Defence and Space Sas

Ane Aanesland

Dmytro Rafalskyi

Pascal Chabert

Stéphane Mazouffre

Gary Leray

Michael Irzyk

Albert Meige

The invention relates to an ion thruster, comprising:

Gridded ion thruster with integrated solid propellant

A plasma thruster includes extraction of a stream of positive ions. The plasma thruster includes a single ionization stage; injecting ionizable gas for said ionization stage comprising injecting a first gas and an electronegative second gas; creating an RF electric field to cause the gases to ionize in the ionization stage creating a first zone called the hot zone, in the ionization stage; the first gas being distributed in the hot first zone, the second gas being distributed in a second zone less hot than said first zone; extracting a stream of negative ions and a stream of positive ions, these being both connected to the ionization stage; and the extraction of a stream of positive ions and the extraction of a stream of negative ions, ensuring that the thruster is electrically neutral.

Electronegative plasma thruster with optimized injection

A device for forming a quasi-neutral ion-electron beam, including: a chamber; a set of means for forming an ion-electron plasma in the chamber; and means for extracting and accelerating charged particles from the plasma out of the chamber. The particles are capable of forming the beam and the extraction and acceleration means that include a set of at least two grids located at one end of the chamber.

Device for forming a quasi-neutral beam of oppositely charged particles

The invention relates to a method and device for forming a plasma beam. According to the invention: the quality of the electroneutrality of the plasma beam (PB) is detected (inand/or); and the alternating polarization potentials of the extraction and acceleration grid () are adjusted such that the plasma beam (PB) is at least approximately electrically neutral.

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