When [Jay Bowles] demoed his first-generation ion thruster on Plasma Channel ... we’re looking forward to seeing the next generation of this fascinating project.

A next-generation thruster developed by NASA may have brought the long awaited advent of interplanetary travel a step closer, harnessing the power of ion engine technology. The technology is ...

On the face of things, not much, but after seeing [Zachary Tong]’s latest video on liquid metal ion thrusters, we see that they seem to have a lot more in common than we’d initially thought.

which was powered by regular ion thrusters. Earth to Mars? Four months. Earth to Saturn? Two years. Rather than launch from Earth each time, several Sunbirds would be “docked” in low-Earth ...

thrusters generate low thrust via the electrostatic extraction of charged species from an electrified liquid. These systems are characterized by the propellant used and emission mode of the ion beam.