// PROPULSION SYSTEMS AND ENGINE TECHNOLOGY TERM
Colloid Thruster
A colloid thruster is a type of electric rocket engine that produces thrust by accelerating tiny, charged liquid droplets using an electric field. It offers a balance between thrust and efficiency, making it suitable for small spacecraft.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
A colloid thruster is a form of electric propulsion (EP) that generates thrust by electrostatically accelerating charged micro-droplets (colloids) extracted from a liquid propellant, typically an ionic liquid, via an electrospray process. This technology provides variable specific impulse and thrust, bridging the gap between high-thrust chemical systems and high-efficiency ion thrusters, making it ideal for spacecraft attitude control and precision maneuvering.
BACKGROUND
Spacecraft electric propulsion encompasses spacecraft propulsion systems that use electric energy to accelerate and expel propellant, generating thrust through electric or magnetic fields. Their principal advantage over chemical rockets is much higher specific impulse, meaning greater propellant efficiency, but the limited electrical power available aboard spacecraft yields much lower thrust, making electric propulsion unsuitable for launch from Earth's surface and better suited to long-duration in-space maneuvers.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- electrospray thruster
- colloidal engine
- liquid electrospray propulsion
- colloid rocket
- micro-colloid thruster
- ionic liquid thruster
USAGE NOTE
These thrusters are primarily used for high-precision attitude control, station-keeping, and orbital maneuvering on small satellites and CubeSats.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Colloid Thruster.
A leading developer of advanced space propulsion systems, including colloid and electrospray thrusters. Busek has developed micro-propulsion systems using ionic liquid propellants for high-precision satellite control.
Specializes in the development of Tiled Ionic Liquid Electrospray (TILE) propulsion systems, a proprietary type of colloid thruster designed for small satellites, offering scalability and low power consumption.
JPL has been instrumental in the research and development of colloid thrusters for precision spacecraft control. They were involved in developing the thrusters used on the NASA-ESA LISA Pathfinder mission.
ESA has funded and managed the development of colloid micro-propulsion technology for missions requiring ultra-precise attitude and position control, such as the successful LISA Pathfinder science mission.
A university research lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that conducts pioneering research into electrospray physics and colloid thruster technology. The technology behind Accion Systems originated here.
A commercial manufacturer of Field Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP) thrusters, which are closely related to colloid thrusters. Their thrusters use liquid metal propellant and are used on numerous small satellite constellations.
The Imperial Plasma Propulsion Laboratory researches and develops various electric propulsion systems, including colloid and electrospray thrusters, often in collaboration with the European Space Agency.