Rosatom has created a prototype of a plasma accelerator for interplanetary flights

Employees of the Troitsk Institute for Innovation and Thermonuclear Research, which is part of the Roscosmos state corporation, have produced a prototype plasma accelerator. It will become part of a new generation rocket engine actively being developed in Russia.


It is still difficult to talk about the specific technical characteristics of the plasma accelerator, since little is known about them. Scientists said that the key element of the magnetic plasma device is already ready and it is designed for a specific impulse of 100 km/s.


The first successes in this field were achieved back in 2022. Then this institute developed an accelerator that uses the principle of preliminary ionization of the working fluid. In addition, scientists have created ways to increase the life of electrode parts.

In 2023, there were already reports that employees of one of the Roscosmos departments had been working for months on the development of a spacecraft designed to conquer deep space. Obviously, such technology requires an engine based on new principles.