NASA's Moon-Orbiting Gateway Space Station Successfully Tests Powerful New Thrusters

NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne are testing a new ion propulsion engine called the Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) at NASA's Glenn Research Center. The AEPS, a powerful Hall effect thruster, uses solar-generated electricity to create a stream of ionized xenon gas, producing efficient thrust. It is over two times more powerful than current electric propulsion thrusters and will be crucial for future lunar exploration missions. The thrusters will be used on NASA's Gateway space station, and a dedicated Xenon Transfer System is being developed to replenish the xenon gas. NASA plans to test a second thruster in 2024 and launch the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) of Gateway in November 2025.