Ion engine probes can land on and launch from celestial bodies below a specific mass threshold
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
3 sources for · 0 against
AS REPORTEDno primary record reached; this is what the reporting says
Retrieved technical discussions establish that ion engine probes can theoretically land on and launch from celestial bodies provided their mass and surface gravity fall below specific thresholds due to the low thrust-to-weight ratio of ion thrusters.
# Land a cubesat on the moon with ion engine
Tags: orbital-mechanics, the-moon, landing, cubesat, low-thrust
- Score: 11
- Views: 2058
- Answers: 2
- Answered: yes
- Asked by: Valentino Zaffrani (1623 rep)
- Asked: 2020-11-03
- Edited: 2020-11-04
- Site: space
## Question
Say I have a 3U cubesat with a BIT-3 ion thruster, an iodine tank and landing legs. Can it land on the Moon with just an ion thruster?
## Answers
### Answer by SE - stop firing the good guys (score: 32 [ACCEPTED])
Not a soft landing.
A soft landing requires the spacecraft having a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than one (otherwise it just falls faster and faster).
Ion engines have a very low thrust to weight ratio, much smaller than one. On the moon, the surface acceleration is 1.625m/s², so the thruster must provide at least 1.625N of force for every kg of spacecraft. Ion engines are several kilograms, while providing less than 1N of thrust, so this is not possible.
Busek BIT-3:
Mass: 1.28kg without gimbal.
Thrust: up to 0.00125N
Thrust to weight ratio on the Moon: 0.0006 (best case, assuming the spacecraft is 100% engine by mass)
Just smashing into the surface of the moon at more than a km/s on the othe
# How large a body could a probe with ion engines land on and launch from?
Tags: orbital-mechanics, mission-design, ion-thruster, asteroid-belt, sample-return
- Score: 16
- Views: 981
- Answers: 1
- Answered: yes
- Asked by: kim holder (21877 rep)
- Asked: 2015-08-23
- Edited: 2015-08-23
- Site: space
## Question
Researching small asteroids up close by use of robotic probes seems like an appealing near-future mission. One option is a sample return mission that goes to one large body, another is a mission where a number of smaller bodies are visited over time. In either case, the thing is to land, then launch again, and ultimately return to Earth with samples, perhaps even drilled core samples. Maybe a little digging could be done, or seismic tests, to see what it is really like to work on the surface of an asteroid.
Dawn visited both Vesta and Ceres by using ion thrusters. How large a body could a probe similar to Dawn - with 3 NSTAR ion engines, the same amount of xenon propellant, and of similar mass - land on and return from in the asteroid belt?
Alternatively, how many smaller bodies could such a craft visit, probe the surface of, and then return from? (I suppose this d
Deep Space 1: Advanced Technologies: Solar Electric Propulsion FAQ
## FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUTION PROPULSION
What is ion propulsion? Ion propulsion is a technology that involves ionizing a gas to propel a craft. Instead of a spacecraft being propelled with standard chemicals, the gas xenon (which is like neon or helium, but heavier) is given an electrical charge, or ionized. It is then electrically accelerated to a speed of about 30 km/second. When xenon ions are emitted at such high speed as exhaust from a spacecraft, they push the spacecraft in the opposite direction.
What implications does this technology have for space exploration? If DS1 shows that electric propulsion works as well as is expected, there will be many new missions that will take advantage of it. Deep Space 4 is expected to use four ion engines to fly alongside a comet in 2004 so that it can land. Ion propulsion is not of value for missions that require high acceleration, and it often will not be worthwhile for missions that can be done quickly using conventional propulsion systems (such as missions to the moon). But for a wide variety of missions with high energy requirements (such as missions to aste
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