Electric Propulsion Development

Electric propulsion has quickly assumed a prominent place in the space engineering program. The period of feasibility studies is over, the period of laboratory models has produced promising results, and the period of flight testing and engineering refinement has begun. Research for higher efficiency and for greater reliability is underway at many places. The great potential of electric propulsion systems for unmanned and manned space exploration, which is being recognized more and more, has led to many studies of mission applications. The present book attempts to give a cross section through those problems of electric propulsion that occupy the front line of interest and effort. It is based on papers that were presented during the Second Electric Propulsion Conference of the American Rocket Society in Berkeley, California, on March 14-16, 1962. Although a book of this kind lacks the coherence of a one-author book, it focuses the attention more on the existing problems and on their possible solutions. It will inform the specialist of the state of the art; it will stimulate the beginner to attack those problems that are most in need of further work; and it will help the long-range planner to appraise the potentialities of electric propulsion for future space programs.