// PROPULSION SYSTEMS AND ENGINE TECHNOLOGY TERM
Xenon Propellant
Xenon is a heavy, non-reactive noble gas used as fuel in electric propulsion systems like ion engines and Hall thrusters. The engine uses electricity to ionize the xenon atoms and then accelerates them at high speed to produce a gentle but highly efficient thrust for spacecraft.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Xenon (Xe) is an inert, high-atomic-mass noble gas utilized as a propellant in electric propulsion (EP) systems, specifically gridded ion thrusters and Hall-effect thrusters. Its high mass, low ionization energy, and chemical inertness make it ideal for generating high specific impulse thrust through the electrostatic or electromagnetic acceleration of its ions, enabling efficient long-duration space missions and satellite station-keeping.
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
- Xe propellant
- ion engine fuel
- Hall thruster propellant
- noble gas propellant
- high-Isp propellant
USAGE NOTE
Despite its high cost and scarcity, xenon is the industry standard for most satellite electric propulsion systems due to its excellent performance and inert nature.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Xenon Propellant.
Through its Aerojet Rocketdyne subsidiary, L3Harris is a leading developer of electric propulsion systems, including the XR-5 Hall thruster which uses xenon. These systems are used for orbit-raising and station-keeping on commercial and government satellites.
Busek specializes in advanced electric propulsion technology, including a range of Hall-effect thrusters and gridded ion engines that primarily use xenon propellant for various satellite missions.
A major European developer of in-space propulsion, Safran produces the PPS family of Hall-effect thrusters. Their PPS®1350 and PPS®5000 thrusters use xenon and are widely used on telecommunications and science satellites.
Northrop Grumman develops and integrates xenon-based electric propulsion systems for its satellite platforms. They also manufacture the NEXT-C gridded ion thruster, which uses xenon and was used on NASA's DART mission.
A key NASA research center for aerospace propulsion, Glenn has developed foundational xenon-based electric propulsion technologies, including NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) and various Hall-effect thrusters.
Managed by Caltech for NASA, JPL has pioneered xenon ion propulsion for deep space missions, developing the NSTAR engine for Deep Space 1 and Dawn, and contributing to the NEXT engine for missions like DART.
A major satellite manufacturer that designs and integrates all-electric satellite platforms, such as Spacebus Neo, which rely on xenon-fueled Hall-effect thrusters for orbit raising and station keeping.
Exotrail develops electric propulsion systems for the small satellite market. Their ExoMG™ line of Hall-effect thrusters is designed to use xenon or krypton as propellant for orbital maneuvers.