ION ENGINE Definition & Meaning

ion engine

a type of rocket engine in which thrust is obtained by the electrostatic acceleration of charged positive ions Compare plasma engine

ion engine

A rocket engine that develops thrust by expelling ions fired by an electron gun, used in some spacecraft. Though ion engines create less thrust than chemical combustion engines, they are considerably more efficient and require very little propellant, resulting in much lighter weight and less need for high thrust.
See also solar-electric propulsion

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Firing an ion engine, the tractor would in theory be able to pull the asteroid away from a collision course with Earth.

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The inclusion of a powerful ion engine will require a lot power, hence the use of immense solar arrays.

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The Vasimr is designed to produce much more thrust than a standard ion engine.

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An earlier version of this article gave the wrong measurement for the thrust generated by a spacecraft's ion engine.

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Launched in 2007 with an ion engine, Dawn is nearing the end of its extended mission.

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