Using Interplanetary Medium as Propellant for Plasma Thruster Propulsion

TL;DR

This paper explores the feasibility of using the interplanetary medium as a propellant for plasma thrusters, emphasizing environmental capture methods, ionization processes, and operational considerations at varying distances.

Contribution

It introduces a novel concept of utilizing the space environment as a propellant source for plasma thrusters, analyzing operational modes and limitations at different interplanetary distances.

Findings

Low thrust continuous operation is promising at certain ranges.

Diminishing space density limits plasma thruster effectiveness at longer distances.

Alternative propulsion methods may be necessary for interstellar missions.

Abstract

Consuming long-range interplanetary medium with fuel for driving plasma thrust is vital. Methods of capturing the space environment depending on its density and the ship velocity are indispensable issues to extract the space environment as a propellant. This matter of neutral fluxes would use solar radiation to create ionization in a plasma thruster. Extracting propellant at certain ranges look extremely promising where a low thrust device operates continuously to deliver a celestial target close at the speed of light. However, at longer distances, the density of space rapidly diminishes and it may be impossible to maintain at a plasma thruster continuous operation mode but instead might be workable with a pulsed engine. Nonetheless, at still longer-range interstellar missions, the insufficient propellant will require examining other alternatives than a plasma thruster for other candidate propulsion system, possibly either propellantless or a propulsor is driven by electric and/or magnetic fields to satisfy these mission objectives.