China has made great progress in developing an “ion engine”, which uses magnetic fields, an important technology for propelling and launching spacecraft.
It is reported that “Newton” is the unit of force in the system of kilograms per second, and represents the force that, if it affected the mass of one kilogram, would have gained an acceleration of 1 meter per second squared.
The Chinese newspaper, “Global Times”, this achievement represents a jump for ion engines in China from the level of “milli-newton” (thousand of newtons) to the level of “newton”.
Ionic motors applications include controlling the direction and position of orbital satellites, and their use as the main propulsion engine for medium-sized robotic spacecraft.
The operating engine showed a stable operation, with a specific impulse or “pulse” of 3068 seconds and a work efficiency of more than 70%, thus reaching the international advanced level.
According to the Chinese newspaper, such a high-strength technology equipped with strong propulsion features and high reliability will be able to provide a highly efficient thrust force for positioning, orbital maneuvering and control of the motion of satellites orbiting in geostationary orbit, deep space probes, and space shuttles.
