A prototype ion engine that uses lithium vapor as a propellant has aced its first tests, achieving 25 times more power than previous ion engines.

GOCE’s sophisticated electric ion propulsion system has been switched on and confirmed to be operating normally, marking another crucial milestone in the satellite’s post-launch commissioning phase.

CLEVELAND — A small robotic surveyor arrives to explore a near-Earth asteroid. Another robotic spacecraft is returning to Earth with a pristine comet surface sample. Meanwhile, a robotic explorer is ...

A new era for space propulsion? An ion engine twenty-five times more powerful than NASA's current best model has just been ...

The first human Mars explorers won’t have it easy. Every additional day in deep space will increase their exposure to deadly cosmic radiation, while isolation gnaws at their minds and microgravity ...

Sending an object to another star is still the stuff of science fiction. But some concrete missions could get us at least part way there. These "interstellar precursor missions" include a trip to the ...

NASA's lithium-fed MPD thruster achieved 120 kilowatts in a recent test, marking a significant step toward faster crewed Mars ...

Click to open image viewer. This device was used by the American rocket pioneer Dr. Robert H. Goddard (1882-1945) during the period 1924-28 to determine the feasibility of ion propulsion for space ...

A rendezvous with the metallic asteroid 16 Psyche is scheduled for 2029. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. NASA's mission to the ...

The Mandalorian & Grogu arrived at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on May 14, 2026 — the night before NASA's Psyche spacecraft executed a gravity-assist flyby of Mars using a xenon-fueled ion ...