Which material is most commonly utilized as the inert propellant in ion thrusters?
Answer
Xenon
The standard propellant utilized in operational ion thrusters is Xenon. This choice is based on several factors, primarily its properties as an inert noble gas. Being chemically inert is crucial because it ensures the propellant does not react adversely with the internal engine structure or the delicate accelerator grids. While it is chemically safe, Xenon still must be stored under pressure within heavy tanks, which contributes to the overall launch mass that must be lifted from Earth, even though the required mass is substantially less than that needed by a chemical rocket to achieve the same total velocity change.
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