NASA has completed a 43,000 hour stress test — a record for ion thrusters — on a new rocket propulsion system that could extend future space travel to farther reaches of the solar system.
Developed by NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster Project, the 7-kilowatt ion thruster can burn 10-12 times longer than the conventional chemical thrusters used today. Though not practical for manned-spaceflight, the system could power exploratory rockets that reach outer planets and their moons.
[More from Mashable: NASA Unveils E-books on Hubble, Webb Space Telescopes]
To find out more, watch the video above and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Photo courtesy of NASA
[More from Mashable: First ‘Alien Earth’ Will Be Found in 2013]
BONUS: 15 Twitter Accounts Every Space Lover Should Follow
Sunita Williams
Captain Williams is a NASA astronaut who recently completed the first triathlon in space.
Click here to view this gallery.
This story originally published on Mashable here.
Tech News Headlines – Yahoo! News
Title Post: NASA Sets Record with Ion Thrusters Test
Rating:
100%
based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author:
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment
NASA Sets Record with Ion Thrusters Test
This article
NASA Sets Record with Ion Thrusters Test
can be opened in url
https://newsconnectioner.blogspot.com/2012/12/nasa-sets-record-with-ion-thrusters-test.html
NASA Sets Record with Ion Thrusters Test
