Session
Poster Session 2
Location
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Abstract
This paper presents a novel electric propulsion system that uses pulsed plasma and ion- electron recombination to generate thrust primarily from internal pressure, using water vapor as propellant. In-space testing of the Poseidon™ thruster demonstrated 37.49 mN average thrust and over 4,800 seconds specific impulse at under 1.5 W input power. A physics-based model captures the full mass, energy, and momentum balances and matches experimental results, supporting pressure as the dominant thrust mechanism. Experimental detection of proton–boron fusion in the exhaust plume further validates the system's plasma behavior and confirms a key element of its operating cycle.
Document Type
Event
Novel Pressure-Based Electric Propulsion Discovery
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
This paper presents a novel electric propulsion system that uses pulsed plasma and ion- electron recombination to generate thrust primarily from internal pressure, using water vapor as propellant. In-space testing of the Poseidon™ thruster demonstrated 37.49 mN average thrust and over 4,800 seconds specific impulse at under 1.5 W input power. A physics-based model captures the full mass, energy, and momentum balances and matches experimental results, supporting pressure as the dominant thrust mechanism. Experimental detection of proton–boron fusion in the exhaust plume further validates the system's plasma behavior and confirms a key element of its operating cycle.
