List of spacecraft with electric propulsion

Last updated May 16, 2024

In chronological order, spacecraft are listed equipped with electric space propulsion. This includes both cruise engines and/or thrusters for attitude and orbit control. It is not specified whether the given engine is the sole means of propulsion or whether other types of engine are also used on a spacecraft. The list does not claim to be comprehensive.

Chronological overview

Spacecraft with electric propulsion
Spacecraft name	Launch date	End of life	Thruster type	No.	Model	Propellant			Comment
Program 661A Flight A	18 Dec 1962	18 Dec 1962	Ion engine	1		Cesium	USAF	EOS (Electro-Optical Systems, Inc.)	Suborbital, no operation of on-board ion engine
Kosmos 21	11 Nov 1963	11 Nov 1963	Pulsed plasma thruster			PTFE		Kurchatov Institute/OKB-1	Launch failure
Zond 1	2 Apr 1964	14 May 1964	Pulsed plasma thruster			PTFE		Kurchatov Institute/OKB-1	The experimental ion thruster-based attitude control system were tested but found to operate erratically, possibly due to the loss of pressure in the electronics compartment.
SERT 1	20 Jul 1964	20 Jul 1964	Ion engine	1 1		Mercury Cesium	NASA	NASA Hughes	Space Electric Rocket Test, suborbital (31 min), the first demonstration of an ion engine in space - only the mercury engine by NASA was operated
Program 661A Flight B	29 Aug 1964	29 Aug 1964	Ion engine	1		Cesium	USAF	EOS	Suborbital, experimental test (19 min operation)
Zond 2	30 Nov 1964	14 May 1965	Pulsed plasma thruster			PTFE		Kurchatov Institute/OKB-1	Is widely regarded as the first application of electric propulsion systems in space (70 min of PPT operation)
Program 661A Flight C	21 Dec 1964	21 Dec 1964	Ion engine	1		Cesium	USAF	EOS	Suborbital, experimental test (4 min operation)
Snapshot	3 Apr 1965		Ion engine	1		Cesium	USAF/Army	EOS	Experimental 1 hour operation, SNAP-10A nuclear reactor
Zond 3	18 Jul 1965		Pulsed plasma thruster			PTFE			Operation of thruster failed
Yantar-1	13 Oct 1966	13 Oct 1966	Ion engine			Argon			Ballistic flight
Yantar-2	1968	1968	Ion engine			Nitrogen			Ballistic flight
ATS-4	10 Aug 1968		Ion engine	2		Cesium	USAF/NASA	EOS	Experimental 10 hours operation, Satellite Technology Applications
LES-6	26 Sep 1968		Pulsed plasma thruster	4		PTFE	USAF	MIT Lincoln Lab.	Lincoln Experimental Satellite
Yantar-3	1969	1969	Ion engine			Air			Ballistic flight
ATS-5	12 Aug 1969		Ion engine	2		Cesium	USAF/NASA	EOS	Experimental
SERT 2	3 Feb 1970		Ion engine	2		Mercury	NASA	NASA/Westinghouse	(Experimental), worked until 1981 (3781 hours)
Yantar-4	1971	1971	Ion engine			Air			Ballistic flight
Meteor 1-10	29 Dec 1971		Hall effect thruster	2	SPT-60	Xenon		OKB Fakel	Orbit control
L-4SC-3	20 Aug 1974	20 Aug 1974	Pulsed plasma thruster			PTFE	ISAS		Experimental, ballistic launch. Launch failure.
ATS-6	30 May 1974		Ion engine	2		Cesium	NASA	EOS	Experimental 92 hours operation
Meteor-Priroda 1 (Meteor 1-18)	9 Jul 1974		Hall effect thruster	2	SPT-60	Xenon		OKB Fakel	Orbit control
Kren-1 (Kosmos-728)	18 Apr 1975	18 Apr 1975	Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster			Potassium		NIITP	Ballistic flight
TIP-2	12 Oct 1975		Pulsed plasma thruster	2	TSPPS	PTFE	US Navy	Republic Aviation	Transit Improvement Program (Triad / NOVA), Teflon Solid Propellant Propulsion System
Kren-2 (Kosmos-780)	21 Nov 1975	21 Nov 1975	Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster			Potassium		NIITP	Ballistic flight
Meteor-Priroda 2-1 (Meteor 1-25)	15 May 1976		Hall effect thruster	2	SPT-60	Xenon		OKB Fakel	Orbit control
TIP-3	1 Sep 1976		Pulsed plasma thruster	2	TSPPS	PTFE	US Navy	Republic Aviation	Transit Improvement Program (Triad/NOVA), Teflon Solid Propellant Propulsion System
Meteor-Priroda 2-2 (Meteor 1-28)	29 Jun 1977		Hall effect thruster	2	SPT-50	Xenon		OKB Fakel	Orbit control
Kust-1	7 Dec 1977	7 Dec 1977	Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster			Air			Ballistic flight, Russian acronym of Kubarev, thruster, jet
Kust-2	30 Nov 1978	30 Nov 1978	Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster			Air			Ballistic flight
Astrofizika (Kosmos 1066)	23 Dec 1978		Hall effect thruster	2	SPT-50	Xenon		OKB Fakel	Orbit control
Kust-3	21 Jan 1979	21 Jan 1979	Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster			Air			Ballistic flight
SCATHA (P78-2)	30 Jan 1979		Ion source	1		Xenon	USAF/NASA	Hughes	Satellite Positive Ion Beam System (SPIBS), No engine in the strict sense
Intelsat-5 F-2	6 Dec 1980		Resistojet			Hydrazine	ITSO/Inmarsat		Communications satellite, and 1984, eight satellites
MS-T4 (Tansei 4)	17 Feb 1980	13 May 1983	Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster			Ammonia	ISAS		Experimental, thruster for spin-up
ETS-4 (Kiku 3)	11 Feb 1981	24 Dec 1984	Pulsed plasma thruster			PTFE	NASDA	AIST	Engineering Test Satellite (experimental)
Nova-1	14 May 1981		Pulsed plasma thruster		TSPPS	PTFE	US Navy		Transit Improvement Program (Triad/NOVA), Teflon Solid Propellant Propulsion System
Meteor-Priroda 2-4 (Meteor 1-31)	10 Jul 1981		Hall effect thruster	2	SPT-50	Xenon		OKB Fakel	Orbit control
MDT-2A	7 Dec 1981	7 Dec 1981	Pulsed plasma thruster			PTFE		SSTC Academia Sinica	Ballistic Missile
Potok 1/Geizer 1 (Kosmos 1366)	17 May 1982		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
ETS-3 (Kiku 4)	3 Sep 1982	8 Mar 1985	Ion engine	2		Mercury	NASDA	MELCO	Engineering Test Satellite (experimental)
Potok 2/Geizer 2 (Kosmos 1540)	2 Mar 1984		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
Nova-3	12 Oct 1984		Pulsed plasma thruster		TSPPS	PTFE	US Navy		Transit Improvement Program (Triad/NOVA), Teflon Solid Propellant Propulsion System
Luch #1 (Kosmos 1700)	25 Oct 1985		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
Potok 3/Geizer 3 (Kosmos 1738)	4 Apr 1986		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
Plazma-A #1 (Kosmos 1818)	1 Feb 1987		Hall effect thruster	6	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel	Orbit control, Topaz-1 nuclear reactor
Plazma-A #2 (Kosmos 1867)	10 Jul 1987		Hall effect thruster	6	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel	Orbit control, Topaz-1 nuclear reactor
Start-1	7 Aug 1987		Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster		AMPDT	Air			Autonomous MPD Thruster
Start-2	9 Sep 1987		Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster		AMPDT	Argon			Autonomous MPD Thruster
Potok 4/Geizer 5 (Kosmos 1888)	1 Oct 1987		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
Luch #2 (Kosmos 1897)	26 Nov 1987		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
Nova-2	16 Jun 1988		Pulsed plasma thruster		TSPPS	PTFE	US Navy		Transit Improvement Program (Triad/NOVA), Teflon Solid Propellant Propulsion System
Potok 5/Geizer 6 (Kosmos 1961)	1 Aug 1988		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
Luch #3 (Kosmos 2054)	27 Dec 1989		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
Potok 6/Geizer 7 (Kosmos 2085)	18 Jul 1990		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
Potok 7/Geizer 8 (Kosmos 2172)	22 Nov 1991		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
EURECA	2 Aug 1992	1 Jul 1993	Ion engine		RIT-10 (RITA)	Xenon	ESA	MBB	240 hours operation
Telstar 401	16 Dec 1993	11 Jan 1997	Arcjet		MR-508	Hydrazine	AT&T	Rocket Research Co.	Communication satellite (Lockheed Martin AS-7000)
Gals-1	20 Jan 1994		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-100	Xenon		OKB Fakel	Communication Satellite
ETS-6 (Kiku 6)	28 Aug 1994	9 Jul 1996	Ion engine		XIES	Xenon	NASDA	Mitsubishi Electric	Experimental, Xenon Ion Engine System
Telstar 402	9 Sep 1994	9 Sep 1994	Arcjet		MR-508	Hydrazine	AT&T	Rocket Research Co.	Communication satellite (Lockheed Martin AS-7000), exploded shortly after launch
Potok 8/Geizer 9 (Kosmos 2291)	21 Sep 1994		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
Ekspress 1	13 Oct 1994		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-100	Xenon		OKB Fakel
Luch 4	16 Dec 1994		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
Space Flyer Unit (SFU)	18 Mar 1995	13 Jan 1996	Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster	1	EPEX	Hydrazine	ISAS/NASDA	ISAS	Electric Propulsion Experiment, 43395 pulses of operation
Potok 9/Geizer 10 (Kosmos 2319)	30 Aug 1995		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
Telstar 402R (Telstar 4)	24 Sep 1995	Sep 2003	Arcjet		MR-508	Hydrazine	AT&T	Rocket Research Co.	Communication satellite (Lockheed Martin AS-7000)
Luch2-1	11 Oct 1995		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
Gals-2	17 Nov 1995		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-100	Xenon		OKB Fakel	Communication Satellite
Ekspress 2	26 Sep 1996		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-100	Xenon		OKB Fakel
A2100	1997		Arcjet		MR-510		Lockheed/Aerojet		Communication Satellite
PAS 5 (now: Intelsat 5)	28 Aug 1997		Ion engine		XIPS	Xenon	PanAmSat	Hughes-EDD	Satellite bus based on HS-601HP (first commercial satellite with XIPS)
Kupon-1	12 Nov 1997	Mar 1998	Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon	Bank of Russia	OKB Fakel	Communication Satellite
Galaxy 8i	8 Dec 1997	2004	Ion engine		XIPS	Xenon	PanAmSat	Hughes-EDD	Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP
Astra 2A	30 Aug 1998		Ion engine		XIPS	Xenon	SES	Hughes-EDD	Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP
STEX (NROL-8)	3 Oct 1998		Hall effect thruster		TAL-D55	Xenon	NRO	TsNIIMash	EPDM (Electric Propulsion Demonstration Module)
Deep Space 1	24 Oct 1998	2001	Ion engine	1	NSTAR	Xenon	NASA	NASA
Satmex 5 (now: Eutelsat 115 West A)	5 Dec 1998		Ion engine		XIPS	Xenon	Satmex	Hughes-EDD	Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP; propulsion failed on 27 Jan 2010
PAS 6B (now: Intelsat 6B)	21 Dec 1998		Ion engine		XIPS	Xenon	PanAmSat	Hughes-EDD	Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP
ARGOS (P91-1)	23 Feb 1999	31 Jul 2003	Arcjet		ESEX	Ammonia	USAF	Rocket Research Co.	Experimental military satellite, Electric Propulsion Space Experiment
Orion 3	5 May 1999		Ion engine		XIPS	Xenon	Orion Network Systems	Hughes-EDD	Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP; injected into wrong orbit
Astra 1H	18 Jun 1999		Ion engine		XIPS	Xenon	SES	Hughes-EDD	Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP
Yamal 101	6 Sep 1999		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-70	Xenon	Gazcom	OKB Fakel	Communications satellite
Yamal 102	6 Sep 1999		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-70	Xenon	Gazcom	OKB Fakel	Communications satellite
DirecTV 1R	10 Oct 1999		Ion engine	4	XIPS	Xenon	DirecTV	Hughes-EDD	Communications satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP
Ekspress-A 1	27 Oct 1999	27 Oct 1999	Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-100	Xenon	RSCC	OKB Fakel	Communication satellite, satellite lost during launch
Galaxy 10R	25 Jan 2000	2009	Ion engine		XIPS	Xenon	PanAmSat	Hughes-EDD	Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP; reduced mission time due to malfunction in XIPS
Ekspress-A 2	12 Mar 2000		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-100	Xenon	RSCC	OKB Fakel	Communication satellite
SESAT 1 (now: Eutelsat 16C)	17 Apr 2000		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-100	Xenon	Eutelsat	OKB Fakel	Communications satellite, Ekspress satellite bus by NPO PM
Galaxy 4R	19 Apr 2000	2006	Ion engine		XIPS	Xenon	PanAmSat	Hughes-EDD	Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP; XIPS failed by 2003
Ekspress-A 3	24 Jun 2000		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-100	Xenon	RSCC	OKB Fakel	Communication satellite
Potok 10/Geizer 12 (Kosmos 2371)	4 Jul 2000		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-70	Xenon		OKB Fakel
MightySat II.1	19 Jul 2000	12 Nov 2002	Pulsed plasma thruster			PTFE	AFRL	USAF/NASA/Olin Aerospace Co.	Experimental satellite
PAS 9 (now: Intelsat 9)	28 Jul 2000		Ion engine		XIPS	Xenon	PanAmSat	Hughes-EDD	Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP
AMSAT-Phase 3-D (OSCAR-40)	16 Nov 2000	2004	Arcjet		ATOS	Ammonia	AMSAT	University of Stuttgart, IRS	Arcjet Thruster on OSCAR Satellite, operated in cold gas mode
EO-1	21 Nov 2000	30 Mar 2017	Pulsed plasma thruster			PTFE	NASA	Primex Aerospace	Earth Observing-1, technology demonstrator
PAS 10 (now: Intelsat 10)	15 May 2001		Ion engine		XIPS	Xenon	PanAmSat	Boeing-EDD	Satellite bus based on Hughes HS-601HP
Astra 2C	16 Jun 2001		Ion engine		XIPS	Xenon	SES	Boeing-EDD	Satellite bus based on Hughes 601HP
Artemis	12 Jul 2001	Nov 2017	Ion engine	4	RIT-10 (RITA) and UK-10(T5)	Xenon	ESA	Astrium	Advanced Relay Technology Mission ESA Artemis satellite using 4 ion engines (2 RIT and 2 UK-10) has paved the way for the use of electric propulsion in telecommunication spacecraft.^[1]
DirecTV 4S	27 Nov 2001		Ion engine	4	XIPS	Xenon	DirecTV	Boeing-EDD	Satellite bus based on Boeing BSS-601HP
Ekspress-A 1R (Ekspress-A 4)	10 Jun 2002		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-100(?), KM-5^[2]	Xenon	RSCC	OKB Fakel(?), Keldysh	Communication satellite
AsiaSat 4	11 Apr 2003		Ion engine	4	XIPS	Xenon	AsiaSat	Boeing-EDD	Satellite bus based on Boeing BSS-601HP
Hayabusa	9 May 2003	13 Jun 2010	Ion engine	4	μ10	Xenon	JAXA	JAXA/ISAS
SMART-1	28 Sep 2003	3 Sep 2006	Hall effect thruster	1	PPS-1350	Xenon	ESA	Snecma	Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology
Galaxy 13 / Horizons 1	1 Oct 2003		Ion engine		XIPS	Xenon	PanAmSat/JSAT	Boeing-EDD	Satellite bus based on Boeing BSS-601HP
Yamal 201	24 Nov 2003		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-70	Xenon	Gazcom	OKB Fakel
Yamal 202	24 Nov 2003		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-70	Xenon	Gazcom	OKB Fakel
Ekspress-AM 1	29 Oct 2004	10 Aug 2013	Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-100	Xenon	RSCC	OKB Fakel
AMC 12 (Astra 4A / Star One C12 / now: NSS 10)	3 Feb 2005		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-100	Xenon	SES Americom	OKB Fakel	Communications satellite based on Alcatel Alenia Spacebus-4000C3
Ekspress-AM 2	29 Mar 2005		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-100	Xenon	RSCC	OKB Fakel
Monitor-E	26 Aug 2005		Hall effect thruster		SPT-100	Xenon	Roskosmos	OKB Fakel	Earth observation satellite based on Khrunichev Yachta bus
MBSat 1 (ABS 2i / now: ABS 4 (Mobisat))	13 Mar 2004		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-100	Xenon	MBCO Sold to: ABS	OKB Fakel	Satellite based on Space Systems/Loral SSL-1300
Ekspress-AM 3	29 Oct 2004		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-100	Xenon	RSCC	OKB Fakel
AMC 23	29 Dec 2005		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-100	Xenon	SES Americom	OKB Fakel	Communications satellite based on Alcatel Alenia Spacebus-4000C3
KazSat-1	18 Jun 2005		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-70	Xenon	JSC KazSat	OKB Fakel	Communications satellite based on Khrunichev Yachta bus
ION	26 Jul 2006	26 Jul 2006	Vacuum arc thruster	4	μVAT	Tungsten	UIUC	UIUC	Satellite lost during injection phase
MEASAT-3	11 Dec 2006		Ion engine	4	XIPS	Xenon	MEASAT	L-3 ETI	Satellite bus based on Boeing BSS-601HP
TacSat-2	16 Dec 2006	5 Feb 2011	Hall effect thruster	1	BHT-200	Xenon	USAF	Busek	Microsatellite Propulsion Integration (MPI) Experiment, military applications
ETS-8 (Kiku 8)	18 Dec 2006		Ion engine	4	XIES	Xenon	JAXA	Mitsubishi Electric
FalconSat-3	9 Mar 2007		Pulsed plasma thruster	4	MPACS	PTFE	USAFA	Busek	Experimental Satellite, Micro-Propulsion Attitude Control System
Dawn	27 Sep 2007		Ion engine	3	NSTAR	Xenon	NASA	NASA
Telstar 11N	26 Feb 2009		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-100	Xenon	Loral Skynet	OKB Fakel	Satellite based on Space Systems/Loral SSL-1300
GOCE	17 Mar 2009	11 Nov 2013	Ion engine	2	T5	Xenon	ESA	QinetiQ
Sirius FM5 (Radiosat 5)	30 Jun 2009		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-100	Xenon	Sirius Satellite Radio	OKB Fakel	Satellite based on Space Systems/Loral SSL-1300
STSAT-2A	25 Aug 2009	25 Aug 2009	Pulsed plasma thruster				KARI	KAIST/SaTReC	Satellite lost during injection phase
NSS-12	29 Oct 2009		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-100	Xenon	SES New Skies	OKB Fakel	Satellite based on Space Systems/Loral SSL-1300
GSAT-4 (Healthsat)	15 Apr 2010	15 Apr 2010	Hall effect thruster	2 2	KM-45 (Unnamed)	Xenon	ISRO	Keldysh ISRO	Launcher failed to reach orbit^[3]^[4]^[5]
STSAT-2B	10 Jun 2010	10 Jun 2010	Pulsed plasma thruster				KARI	KAIST/SaTReC	Satellite lost during injection phase
AEHF-SV-1 (USA-214)	14 Aug 2010		Hall effect thruster	4	BPT-4000 (XR-5)	Xenon	USAF	Aerojet	Satellite based on Lockheed Martin A2100; mission saved by Hall thruster
FalconSat-5 (USA-221)	20 Nov 2010		Hall effect thruster		BHT-200	Xenon	USAF	Busek	Experimental Satellite
KazSat-2	16 Jul 2011		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-70	Xenon	JSC KazSat	OKB Fakel	Communications satellite based on Khrunichev Yachta bus
Fobos-Grunt	9 Nov 2011	15 Jan 2012	Hall effect thruster	3	SPT-140	Xenon	Roskosmos	OKB Fakel	Failed to reach intended trajectory
SES-4	14 Feb 2012		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-100	Xenon	SES World Skies	OKB Fakel
AEHF-SV-2 (USA-235)	4 May 2012		Hall effect thruster		BPT-4000 (XR-5)	Xenon	USAF	Aerojet	Satellite based on Lockheed Martin A2100
SES-5	9 Jul 2012		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-100	Xenon	SES World Skies	OKB Fakel
Kanopus-V	22 Jul 2012		Hall effect thruster	2	SPT-50	Xenon	Roskosmos	OKB Fakel	Earth observation satellite
TET-1	22 Jul 2012		Resistojet	1	Aquajet	Water	DLR	Aerospace Innovation	Experimental
PROITERES	9 Sep 2012		Pulsed plasma thruster	4		PTFE	OIT	OIT	Academic satellite, communication loss before propulsion test
Shijian-9A (SJ-9A)	14 Oct 2012		Hall effect thruster Ion engine		HET-40 LIPS-200	Xenon	COSTIND	SISP LIP	Experimental satellite based on CAST-2000
Yamal 402	8 Dec 2012		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-100	Xenon	Gazcom	OKB Fakel	Satellite based on Spacebus-4000C3, satellite failed to reach intended orbit
STRaND-1	25 Feb 2013		Pulsed plasma thruster				SSTL	SSTL	3U Cubesat propulsion demonstration
Alphasat (Inmarsat-4A F4)	25 Jul 2013		Hall effect thruster	4	PPS-1350	Xenon	Inmarsat/ESA	Snecma	Operational
AEHF-SV-3 (USA-246)	18 Sep 2013		Hall effect thruster		BPT-4000 (XR-5)	Xenon	USAF	Aerojet	Satellite based on Lockheed Martin A2100
CUSat	29 Sep 2013	16 Oct 2013	Pulsed plasma thruster			PTFE	Cornell University	Cornell University University of Washington	Technology demonstration
STSAT-3	21 Nov 2013	Dec 2015	Hall effect thruster	1		Xenon	KARI	KAIST/SaTReC
DubaiSat-2	21 Nov 2013		Hall effect thruster	1		Xenon	MBRSC	Satrec Initiative JAXA (Neutralizer)	Satellite bus based on Satrec Initiative SI-300
Wren	21 Nov 2013		Pulsed plasma thruster	4			StaDoKo	StaDoKo	1U PocketQub propulsion
Ekspress-AM5	26 Dec 2013		Hall effect thruster		SPT-100	Xenon	RSCC	OKB Fakel	EP system used to insert the satellite into GEO. Unclear if EP is also used for station keeping.
KazSat-3	28 Apr 2014		Hall effect thruster		SPT-100	Xenon	JSC KazSat	OKB Fakel	Communications satellite based on Ekspress 1000 NTA bus
Deimos-2	19 Jun 2014		Hall effect thruster		HEPS	Xenon	Deimos Imaging	Satrec Initiative	Satellite bus based on Satrec Initiative SI-300
Hodoyoshi 4	19 Jun 2014		Ion engine	1	MIPS	Xenon	University of Tokyo/NESTRA	University of Tokyo
MKA-FKI PN2 (Vernov)	8 Jul 2014	Dec 2014	Pulsed plasma thruster		APPT-45-2	PTFE	Russian Academy of Sciences	RIAME	Satellite based on bus Karat; communication loss before thruster operation
Ekspress-AM6 (Eutelsat 53A)	21 Oct 2014		Hall effect thruster		SPT-100	Xenon	RSCC	OKB Fakel	EP system used to insert the satellite into GEO. Unclear if EP is also used for station keeping.
Hayabusa2	3 Dec 2014		Ion engine	4		Xenon	JAXA	JAXA/ISAS
PROCYON	3 Dec 2014		Ion engine	1	I-COUPS	Xenon	JAXA/University of Tokyo	University of Tokyo	PRoximate Object Close flYby with Optical Navigation, experimental >200 h operation
Yamal 401	15 Dec 2014		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-100	Xenon	Gazcom	OKB Fakel	Satellite based on bus Ekspress-2000A
ABS-3A	2 Mar 2015		Ion engine	4	XIPS-25	Xenon	ABS	L-3 ETI	First Boeing 702SP all-electric satellites
Satmex 7 (now: Eutelsat 115 West B)	2 Mar 2015		Ion engine	4	XIPS-25	Xenon	Satmex	L-3 ETI	First Boeing 702SP all-electric satellites
BRICsat-P	20 May 2015		Vacuum arc thruster	4	μCAT		USNA	GW University	Detumbling, spin and a delta-V for a 1.5U cubesat in 500km orbit
AeroCube 8A	20 May 2015		Electrospray Thruster	1	SiEPro	Ionic liquid	The Aerospace Corporation	MIT	1.5 U cubesat
AeroCube 8B	20 May 2015		Electrospray Thruster	1	SiEPro	Ionic liquid	The Aerospace Corporation	MIT	1.5 U cubesat
KaiTuo-1A (XinJiShu YanZheng-2)	19 Sep 2015		Hall effect thruster	1 1	LHT-100 (Unnamed)	Xenon		LIP BICE	Experimental Satellite
Lisa Pathfinder	3 Dec 2015		Electrospray Thruster	8	CMNT	Ionic Liquid Propellant	ESA	Busek	Very precise attitude control
Horyu-4 (AEGIS)	18 Feb 2016		Vacuum arc thruster				KIT	KIT
SES-9	4 Mar 2016		Ion engine	4	XIPS-25	Xenon	SES	L-3 ETI
ABS-2A	15 Jun 2016		Ion engine	4	XIPS-25	Xenon	ABS	L-3 ETI	Satellite based on all-electric bus Boeing 702SP
Satmex 9 (now: Eutelsat 117 West B)	15 Jun 2016		Ion engine	4	XIPS-25	Xenon	Satmex	L-3 ETI	Satellite based on all-electric bus Boeing 702SP
Shijian-17 (SJ-17)	3 Nov 2016		Hall effect thruster		LHT-100	Xenon	CAST	LIP
AeroCube 8C	11 Nov 2016		Electrospray Thruster	1	SiEPro	Ionic liquid	The Aerospace Corporation	MIT	1.5 U cubesat
AeroCube 8D	11 Nov 2016		Electrospray Thruster	1	SiEPro	Ionic liquid	The Aerospace Corporation	MIT	1.5 U cubesat
AOBA-VELOX III	9 Dec 2016		Pulsed plasma thruster	1		PTFE	NTU KIT	NTU	2U-Cubesat propulsion, satellite piggyback on HTV-6, deployed from ISS on 16 Jan 2017
Hispasat 36W-1 (SmallGEO)	27 Jan 2017		Hall effect thruster	8	SPT-100	Xenon	Hispasat	OKB Fakel	Satellite based on OHB Luxor bus
SES-10	30 Mar 2017		Hall effect thruster		SPT-100	Xenon	SES	OKB Fakel
Shijian-13 (SJ-13)	12 Apr 2017		Ion engine	4	LIPS-200	Xenon	CAST & ChinaSatcom	LIP	Satellite based on DongFangHong-3B satellite bus
GSAT-9 (South Asian Satellite)	5 May 2017		Hall effect thruster	4	KM-45	Xenon	ISRO	Keldysh	Station-keeping of satellite, including orbit changes ^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]
SES-15	18 May 2017		Ion engine	4	XIPS-25	Xenon	SES World Skies	L-3 ETI	Satellite based on all-electric bus Boeing 702SP
Eutelsat 172B	1 Jun 2017		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-140	Xenon	Eutelsat	OKB Fakel	Satellite based on all-electric bus Eurostar-3000EOR
PEGASUS	23 Jun 2017		Pulsed plasma thruster	4		PTFE	FH Wiener Neustadt	FH Wiener Neustadt	Cubesat propulsion; part of QB50
Shijian-18	2 Jul 2017	2 Jul 2017	Ion engine		LIPS-300	Xenon		LIP	Launcher failed to reach orbit
VENμS	2 Aug 2017		Hall effect thruster	2	IHET-300	Xenon	ISA CNES	Rafael	Station-keeping, fine attitude control and orbit change
AsiaSat-9	28 Sep 2017		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-100	Xenon	AsiaSat	OKB Fakel	Satellite based on Space Systems Loral SSL-1300 bus
SLATS (Tsubame)	23 Dec 2017	2 Oct 2019	Ion engine	1	XIES	Xenon
Flock-3p'	12 Jan 2018		FEEP	1	IFM Nano	Indium	Planet Labs	Enpulsion	First successful IOD of a FEEP thruster on a 3U Cubesat
SES-14	25 Jan 2018		Hall effect thruster		SPT-140	Xenon	SES	OKB Fakel	Satellite based on all-electric bus Eurostar Neo
SES-12	4 Jun 2018		Hall effect thruster		SPT-140	Xenon	SES	OKB Fakel	Satellite based on all-electric bus Eurostar Neo
NovaSAR	16 Sep 2018		Resistojet Quad confinement thruster	1 1	QCT-200	Xenon	SSTL/ADS UK	SSTL SSC/SSTL	Satellite based on SSTL-300 bus
BepiColombo	20 Oct 2018		Ion engine	4	T6	Xenon	ESA & JAXA	QinetiQ	Solar Electric Propulsion System (SEPS)
(undisclosed)	2018		FEEP	4	IFM Nano	Indium		Enpulsion
(undisclosed)	2018		FEEP	1	IFM Nano	Indium		Enpulsion
FalconSat-6	3 Dec 2018		Hall effect thruster		BHT-200	Xenon	USAF	Busek	Experimental Satellite
UWE-4	27 Dec 2018		FEEP	4	NanoFEEP	Gallium	Universität Würzburg	Morpheus Space	First IOD of orbit control on a picosatellite using electric propulsion
AOBA-VELOX-IV	18 Jan 2019		Pulsed plasma thruster	4		PTFE	NTU KIT	NTU
Xiaoxiang-1 03	21 Jan 2019		Electrospray thruster				Spacety Aerospace Corp.	206th Institute
(undisclosed)	2019		FEEP	4	IFM Nano	Indium		Enpulsion
PSN-6 (Nusantara Satu)	22 Feb 2019					Xenon	PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara	SSL
(undisclosed)	2019		FEEP	7	IFM Nano	Indium		Enpulsion
Starlink L0	23 May 2019		Hall effect thruster	60x?		Krypton	SpaceX	SpaceX	First operational Starlink satellite design
Yamal 601	30 May 2019		Hall effect thruster	4	SPT-100	Xenon	Gazprom	OKB Fakel	Satellite based on bus Ekspress-2000A
(undisclosed)	2019		FEEP	4	IFM Nano	Indium		Enpulsion
(undisclosed)	2019		FEEP	4	IFM Nano	Indium		Enpulsion
JCSAT-18/Kacific-1^[10]^[11]	17 Dec 2019		Ion engine	4	XIPS	Xenon	SKY Perfect JSAT / Kacific	Boeing-EDD	Boeing 702
Shijian-20(SJ-20)	27 Dec 2019		Ion engine		LIPS-300	Xenon	CAST	LIP	Back-up of Shijian-18 based on DFH-5 Bus
Eutelsat KONNECT	17 Jan 2020				Spacebus Neo Xenon Propulsion System (XPS)	Xenon
Double Asteroid Redirection Test	24 Nov 2021	26 Sep 2022			Next-C Ion Engine	Xenon	NASA	Aerojet Rocketdyne
MicroHETSat	1 Dec 2023		Hall Effect Thruster		Sitael HT100	Xenon	ESA	Sitael	IOD for HT100

Planned missions

Planned missions
Spacecraft name	Launch date	Thruster type	Model	Propellant			Comment
Starlink 1-1 to 1-60	2019	Hall effect thruster		Krypton	SpaceX	SpaceX
Starlink 2-1 to 2-60	2019	Hall effect thruster		Krypton	SpaceX	SpaceX
Starlink 3-1 to 3-60	2019	Hall effect thruster		Krypton	SpaceX	SpaceX
APStar 6D	2019	Ion engine	LIPS-300	Xenon		LIP	DFH-5 bus
GSAT-20	2024	Hall effect thruster		Xenon	ISRO	ISRO
SES-17	2021	Hall effect thruster		Xenon	SES	Snecma (TBC)	all-electric Spacebus Neo
Hotbird 13F	2021	Hall effect thruster	PPS5000 (TBC)	Xenon	Eutelsat	Snecma (TBC)	all-electric bus Eurostar Neo
Hotbird 13G	2021	Hall effect thruster	PPS5000 (TBC)	Xenon	Eutelsat	Snecma (TBC)	all-electric bus Eurostar Neo
ASTER	2021	Hall effect thruster	PMHT	Xenon	AEB	UnB	MetNet bus
ETS-9	2021+	Hall effect thruster		Xenon	JAXA	IHI Aerospace
Ionozond (Ionosfere 1 & 2)	2023+	Pulsed plasma thruster	APPT-95	PTFE	Roskosmos	RIAME	AOCS
NASA Gateway	2025	Hall effect thruster		Xenon	NASA	L3-Aerojet Rocketdyne/Busek
AQUIS	2025	Vacuum Arc Jet		Tungsten	Space Team Aachen	Space Team Aachen	FEEP in development as upgrade
Soyuz-Sat-O	?	Pulsed plasma thruster	APPT-155	PTFE		RIAME

Related Research Articles

Deep Space 1 (DS1) was a NASA technology demonstration spacecraft which flew by an asteroid and a comet. It was part of the New Millennium Program, dedicated to testing advanced technologies.

Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. In-space propulsion exclusively deals with propulsion systems used in the vacuum of space and should not be confused with space launch or atmospheric entry.

In spacecraft propulsion, a Hall-effect thruster (HET) is a type of ion thruster in which the propellant is accelerated by an electric field. Hall-effect thrusters are sometimes referred to as Hall thrusters or Hall-current thrusters. Hall-effect thrusters use a magnetic field to limit the electrons' axial motion and then use them to ionize propellant, efficiently accelerate the ions to produce thrust, and neutralize the ions in the plume. The Hall-effect thruster is classed as a moderate specific impulse space propulsion technology and has benefited from considerable theoretical and experimental research since the 1960s.

An ion thruster, ion drive, or ion engine is a form of electric propulsion used for spacecraft propulsion. An ion thruster creates a cloud of positive ions from a neutral gas by ionizing it to extract some electrons from its atoms. The ions are then accelerated using electricity to create thrust. Ion thrusters are categorized as either electrostatic or electromagnetic.

A magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thruster (MPDT) is a form of electrically powered spacecraft propulsion which uses the Lorentz force to generate thrust. It is sometimes referred to as Lorentz Force Accelerator (LFA) or MPD arcjet.

A pulsed plasma thruster (PPT), also known as a plasma jet engine, is a form of electric spacecraft propulsion. PPTs are generally considered the simplest form of electric spacecraft propulsion and were the first form of electric propulsion to be flown in space, having flown on two Soviet probes starting in 1964. PPTs are generally flown on spacecraft with a surplus of electricity from abundantly available solar energy.

The Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) is an electrothermal thruster under development for possible use in spacecraft propulsion. It uses radio waves to ionize and heat an inert propellant, forming a plasma, then a magnetic field to confine and accelerate the expanding plasma, generating thrust. It is a plasma propulsion engine, one of several types of spacecraft electric propulsion systems.

Uncrewed spacecraft or robotic spacecraft are spacecraft without people on board. Uncrewed spacecraft may have varying levels of autonomy from human input, such as remote control, or remote guidance. They may also be autonomous, in which they have a pre-programmed list of operations that will be executed unless otherwise instructed. A robotic spacecraft for scientific measurements is often called a space probe or space observatory.

Eugen Sänger was an Austrian aerospace engineer best known for his contributions to lifting body and ramjet technology.

BepiColombo is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to the planet Mercury. The mission comprises two satellites launched together: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mio. The mission will perform a comprehensive study of Mercury, including characterization of its magnetic field, magnetosphere, and both interior and surface structure. It was launched on an Ariane 5 rocket on 20 October 2018 at 01:45 UTC, with an arrival at Mercury planned for on 5 December 2025, after a flyby of Earth, two flybys of Venus, and six flybys of Mercury. The mission was approved in November 2009, after years in proposal and planning as part of the European Space Agency's Horizon 2000+ programme; it is the last mission of the programme to be launched.

Solar electric propulsion (SEP) refers to the combination of solar cells and electric thrusters to propel a spacecraft through outer space. This technology has been exploited in a variety of spacecraft designs by the European Space Agency (ESA), the JAXA, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and NASA. SEP has a significantly higher specific impulse than chemical rocket propulsion, thus requiring less propellant mass to be launched with a spacecraft. The technology has been evaluated for missions to Mars.

Spacecraft electric propulsion is a type of spacecraft propulsion technique that uses electrostatic or electromagnetic fields to accelerate mass to high speed and thus generating thrust to modify the velocity of a spacecraft in orbit. The propulsion system is controlled by power electronics.

Reaction Engines Limited is a British aerospace manufacturer based in Oxfordshire, England.

EDB Fakel is a Russian electric propulsion system development company. It is located in Kaliningrad in Kaliningrad Oblast. It was founded in 1955 as a Propulsion laboratory of the Soviet Academy of Sciences; in 1962 it obtained status of Design Bureau, OKB.

Nuclear power in space is the use of nuclear power in outer space, typically either small fission systems or radioactive decay for electricity or heat. Another use is for scientific observation, as in a Mössbauer spectrometer. The most common type is a radioisotope thermoelectric generator, which has been used on many space probes and on crewed lunar missions. Small fission reactors for Earth observation satellites, such as the TOPAZ nuclear reactor, have also been flown. A radioisotope heater unit is powered by radioactive decay and can keep components from becoming too cold to function, potentially over a span of decades.

Busek Company Incorporated is an American spacecraft propulsion company that builds thrusters, electronics, and various systems for spacecraft.

The NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) project at Glenn Research Center is a gridded electrostatic ion thruster about three times as powerful as the NSTAR used on Dawn and Deep Space 1 spacecraft. It was used in DART, launched in 2021.

The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), also known as the Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization (ARU) mission and the Asteroid Initiative, was a space mission proposed by NASA in 2013; the mission was later cancelled. The Asteroid Retrieval Robotic Mission (ARRM) spacecraft would rendezvous with a large near-Earth asteroid and use robotic arms with anchoring grippers to retrieve a 4-meter boulder from the asteroid.

FSUE Research and Development Institute of Mechanical Engineering, also known as NIIMash, is a Russian rocket engine design and manufacturing company specialized in small thrusters. It is located in the city of Nizhnyaya Salda, Sverdlovsk Oblast. It started as the B-175 factory of the NII-1 research institute, where Mikhail G. Mironov directed the development of liquid rocket engines research and testing.

The Power and Propulsion Element (PPE), previously known as the Asteroid Redirect Vehicle propulsion system, is a planned solar electric ion propulsion module being developed by Maxar Technologies for NASA. It is one of the major components of the Lunar Gateway. The PPE will allow access to the entire lunar surface and a wide range of lunar orbits and double as a space tug for visiting craft.

References

↑ "Present and Future of Space Electric Propulsion in Europe" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-10-09.
↑ "paper From RNII to Keldysh Research Center on page 56 of the magazine Земля и Вселенная #5 2013" (PDF). Retrieved 2020-05-06.
↑ "IAC Archive — IAC-07/C4/4/1". iafastro.directory. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
↑ "Review of works on Electric propulsion at Keldysh Research Center" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
↑ "GSLV D3/GSAT-4 Brochure" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
↑ "ISRO to Test Electric Propulsion on Satellites". Archived from the original on December 2, 2015.
↑ Murthy, P. V. N.; Raghavaiah, Vaddi; Sowjanya, P.; Renuka, R.; Kumar, Shiv S.; Hariharan, V. K.; Rao, M. Nageswara (Dec 2016). "Study on EMI/ESD effects of Electric Propulsion System on spacecraft systems and mitigation techniques". 2016 International Conference on ElectroMagnetic Interference & Compatibility (INCEMIC). IEEE. pp. 1–4. doi:10.1109/incemic.2016.7921463. ISBN 9781509058402. S2CID 44506648.
↑ "Центр Келдыша разработал новый электроракетный двигатель". ТАСС. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
↑ HUANG, WENSHENG (Dec 2017). "Electric rockets power bigger share".
↑ "MediaRoom - News Releases/Statements". MediaRoom. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
↑ "Kacific1 Milestones: Bus and Payload Integration Complete – Kacific" . Retrieved 2019-12-17.

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[1] "Present and Future of Space Electric Propulsion in Europe" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-10-09.

[2] "paper From RNII to Keldysh Research Center on page 56 of the magazine Земля и Вселенная #5 2013" (PDF). Retrieved 2020-05-06.

[3] "IAC Archive — IAC-07/C4/4/1". iafastro.directory. Retrieved 2019-07-23.

[4] "Review of works on Electric propulsion at Keldysh Research Center" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.

[5] "GSLV D3/GSAT-4 Brochure" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2019.

[6] "ISRO to Test Electric Propulsion on Satellites". Archived from the original on December 2, 2015.

[7] Murthy, P. V. N.; Raghavaiah, Vaddi; Sowjanya, P.; Renuka, R.; Kumar, Shiv S.; Hariharan, V. K.; Rao, M. Nageswara (Dec 2016). "Study on EMI/ESD effects of Electric Propulsion System on spacecraft systems and mitigation techniques". 2016 International Conference on ElectroMagnetic Interference & Compatibility (INCEMIC). IEEE. pp. 1–4. doi:10.1109/incemic.2016.7921463. ISBN 9781509058402. S2CID 44506648.

[8] "Центр Келдыша разработал новый электроракетный двигатель". ТАСС. Retrieved 2019-07-23.

[9] HUANG, WENSHENG (Dec 2017). "Electric rockets power bigger share".

[10] "MediaRoom - News Releases/Statements". MediaRoom. Retrieved 2019-12-17.

[11] "Kacific1 Milestones: Bus and Payload Integration Complete – Kacific" . Retrieved 2019-12-17.

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List of spacecraft with electric propulsion

Contents

Chronological overview

Planned missions

See also

Related Research Articles

References