A European project to develop electrodeless plasma thrusters

Illustration of plasma motor Zarathustra. (Image: UC3M) - In-depth research into the physics of a new type of plasma rockets for space missions and revolutionising their design. This is the aim of ZARATHUSTRA, a European ERC Starting Grant research project at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) that aims to develop a new aerospace technology and whose results could also be applied in other fields, such as nuclear fusion by magnetic confinement. Plasma thrusters consume less propellant than chemical combustion rockets, allowing for longer, more ambitious and economical missions. Existing technologies, however, use metal electrodes in contact with the plasma to operate, which is one of their weaknesses, as they deteriorate until the thrusters stop working, limiting their durability, their range of operation and the type of propellants they can use. A new family of electrodeless plasma thrusters has recently been proposed as a solution to these problems, although they are still in the very early stages of development and still have ample room for improvement. "These thrusters have a cylindrical ionization chamber that is open at one end, through which plasma is ejected and accelerated, guided by an applied magnetic field', explains the lead researcher for this new project, Mario Merino, from the Department of Bioengineering and Aerospace Engineering at UC3M.