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Hall effect thruster
Hall effect thrusters, also known simply as plasma thrusters, HETs use the
Hall effect to accelerate ions to produce thrust. A variant
called stationary plasma thruster (SPT) has been used by the
Russians for stationkeeping for many years and will be used on
Western satellites soon.
One problem with HETs is that their plumes diverge quickly and
thus can impinge on other spacecraft parts leading to thermal and
contamination problems.
Example: Hall thrusters typically operate at over 50% thrust efficiency, provide specific impulse from 1200-1800 seconds, and thrust to power ratios of 50-70 mN/kW.
The plasma gas is typically xenon because of its high molecular weight and low ionization potential.
See also: spacecraft propulsion
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