solar electric propulsion

ExoTerra to develop upper stage for Virgin Orbit LauncherOne

by Debra Werner — October 5, 2020

ExoTerra Resources won a NASA Small Business Innovation Research award to develop an upper stage to fit Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne. 

Commercial ExoTerra ResourcesSmall launch vehiclessolar electric propulsionVirgin Orbit

The uncertain future of solar electric propulsion

by Jeff Foust — August 3, 2017

For the last few years, NASA has promoted solar electric propulsion (SEP) as a key aspect of its long-term plans to send humans to Mars. NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) was going to demonstrate one such advanced SEP system, with several 12.5-kilowatt thrusters. But ARM is no more.

From the Magazine ARMNASAsolar electric propulsion