Solar electric propulsion
High efficiency engine for space travel / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Solar electric propulsion (SEP) refers to the combination of solar cells and electric thrusters to propel a spacecraft through outer space.[1] This technology has been exploited in a variety of spacecraft designs by the European Space Agency (ESA), the JAXA (Japanese Space Agency), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and NASA.[1] SEP has a significantly higher specific impulse than chemical rocket propulsion, thus requiring less propellant mass to be launched with a spacecraft. The technology has been evaluated for missions to Mars.[2]