This technology has been exploited in a variety of spacecraft by the european space agency the japanese space agency indian space research organisation and nasa.
Solar electric propulsion spacecraft.
As of 2019 over 500 spacecraft operated throughout the solar system use electric propulsion for station keeping orbit raising or primary propulsion.
Solar electric propulsion refers to the combination of solar cells and electric thrusters to propel a spacecraft through outer space.
Solar electric propulsion as nasa plans to extend human presence across the solar system including the moon and mars it also seeks to shorten the time required to develop and apply transformative technologies that increase the nation s capabilities in space enable future missions and support a variety of commercial spaceflight activities.
The solar electric propulsion project has developed solar arrays that are lighter stronger more compact and less expensive than those currently available.
Nasa s solar electric propulsion sep project is developing critical technologies to enable cost effective new trips to mars and to asteroids across the inner solar system and also to support a variety of commercial spaceflight activities.
Sep has a significantly higher specific impulse than normal chemical rockets thus requiring less propellant mass to be launched with a spacecraft and it has been evaluated for missions to mars.