efficiency articles
What performance metric shows the incredible efficiency of ion thrusters compared to chemical rockets?
What is the single biggest hurdle preventing ion thrusters from being used for tasks like launching a spacecraft from Earth?
What environmental condition is fundamentally required for an ion thruster to operate effectively?
Which statement accurately summarizes the trade-off between chemical rockets and ion thrusters regarding key performance metrics?
What specific long-term orbital task is the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) currently performing using its ion thrusters?
What is the usual propellant material utilized by ion thrusters?
What system typically supplies the substantial electrical power needed for deep-space ion thrusters, like those on the Dawn spacecraft?
Thrust from a typical ion engine is often compared in magnitude to the weight of what common item?
Because ion thrusters deliver low thrust, what characteristic of the spacecraft's movement is severely impacted in the short term?