// PROPULSION SYSTEMS AND ENGINE TECHNOLOGY TERM
Field Emission Electric Propulsion
Field Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP) is a type of highly efficient electric rocket thruster. It works by applying a strong electric field to a liquid metal propellant, which pulls ions directly from the liquid's surface and accelerates them to create thrust.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Field Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP) is an electrostatic spacecraft thruster technology that generates low thrust at very high specific impulse by using a strong electric field to extract and accelerate ions directly from the surface of a liquid metal propellant, such as cesium or indium. This field emission ionization process enables precise attitude control, station-keeping, and drag compensation for satellites and scientific missions.
BACKGROUND
Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. In-space propulsion is used in the vacuum of space after launch vehicle has lifted the spacecraft into outer space.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- FEEP thruster
- Electrospray propulsion
- Field-emission thruster
- Liquid Metal Ion Source (LMIS) thruster
- Ion electrospray propulsion
- Colloid thruster
USAGE NOTE
FEEP thrusters are valued for their extremely precise, micro-newton to milli-newton thrust control, making them ideal for scientific missions requiring fine pointing.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Field Emission Electric Propulsion.
An Austrian company that is a leading manufacturer of Field Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP) thrusters for satellites, known for their IFM and Nano FEEP product lines which use indium as a propellant.
A U.S. based company developing proprietary Tiled Ionic Liquid Electrospray (TILE) propulsion systems, a type of field emission propulsion that uses a safe, ionic liquid propellant for small satellites.
An American aerospace company specializing in advanced electric propulsion. Busek develops various systems, including electrospray thrusters that use ionic liquid propellants for high-precision spacecraft control.
A German-American startup that produces modular, scalable electric propulsion systems based on a proprietary field emission electric propulsion technology using a metallic propellant.
ESA has a long history of supporting the development of FEEP technology for scientific missions requiring ultra-precise positioning, such as the successful LISA Pathfinder mission which used colloid micro-newton thrusters.
A major NASA center that conducts research and development on advanced in-space propulsion, including electrospray and FEEP technologies for small spacecraft and precision control applications.
An academic research lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology focused on advancing plasma physics and electric propulsion. The lab has pioneered research into ionic liquid ion source electrospray thrusters for CubeSats.
The research and technology development subsidiary of the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt in Austria. It is the birthplace of the indium-FEEP technology commercialized by its spin-off, Enpulsion, and continues to be active in FEEP research.