Water-Powered Mini Space Thruster Revolutionizes Space Travel
Researchers at Imperial College in the UK have developed a miniature space thruster chip, called the ICE-Cube Thruster, that runs on water. The thruster uses an electrolysis process to produce hydrogen and oxygen, eliminating the need for bulky gaseous propellant storage. With a combustion chamber and nozzle measuring less than 1mm in length, the thruster was assembled using a MEMS approach. Testing achieved 1.25 millinewtons of thrust, and the data gathered will guide the development of a flight-representative propulsion system.