How Ion Engines Work in Under 60 Seconds

How ion engines work. Ion propulsion, meaning ion thrusters, are used in almost all satellites and space probes. One example is NASA's evolutionary xenon thruster, or short NEXT, which is used on an asteroid-slamming mission for its ridiculous efficiency, but how do ion engines work?

Ion propulsion engines might seem complicated, using unconventional methods compared to rocket engines like the Raptor, and even though those ion engines are considered to be electric propulsion engines, they are not 100% electric. So it's a little bit confusing.

You still need a gas to ionize, but to ionize said gas, you need electricity, and to then accelerate it, you also need electricity.

So even though gas is involved, the most important systems of an ion propulsion engine are electric, explaining why it's called an electric propulsion system.

But enough talking and lazy inclusion of keywords. Let me explain ion propulsion to you using a fancy ion engine animation that I did.

And trust me, even people like MrBeast and pewdiepie, who have no clue about rocket science, could understand how ion thrusters work after this short 60-second video!

#shorts

[hobancarney]

As a new phd working on ion thrusters, i love being able to show this to my family to teach them what I'm working on. Also i showed this to my German superior, and he's also a big fan

[ParamariboCloser]

The very very slow, low thrust, engine.
Well explained!

[red_valkyrie]

Explained it better than my prof did in a half hour lecture LOL... THANK YOU

[baaamsoul]

This is the only vid that explains the gird part best!

[cool_kid.]

Amazing work this made it so easy for me to understand a coplex topic

[chlochlo_the_T_BAG]

hey could you please make more full length videos >~< also tysm for making this btw this is extremely useful (im building one) i subbed :3

[taimoorqureshiakamooroo]

You made this so easier that a 5 year old can understand this 👌🏻 Amazing 👏🏻

[dexternrooks]

Seems like there would be a much more efficient way of ionization, like using a spike tip so electrons shoot everywhere which would also help in the thrust of the positive to negative transfer, aka exit chamber no?

[zaindilzak]

In newtons 3rd law when theres a force that came from a object to another object, the object that caused the force, will get a force in the opposite way, the xenons or the electrons have alot of force to get pushed to not get replied from the positive or negative.