Theoretical and Experimental Studies on Water Discharges for Electric Propulsion

This talk presents a review of the scientific literature on the use of water plasmas for space propulsion applications. Water plasmas have been proposed for use in electric propulsion because of the availability, ease of storage, and non-toxicity of water. A wide range of work over several decades is surveyed in this review, including both experimental and numerical studies. Discharges considered for use in water-based electric propulsion span a range of operating pressures and design parameters (geometry, RF frequency, magnetic field properties). This talk considers the various successes and obstacles in published approaches with respect to propulsion-relevant objectives such as maximizing energy efficiency and sustaining long-duration operation. Additionally, challenges in the system integration of a water plasma for space propulsion (e.g. storage, spacecraft plume interactions, cathode considerations) will be discussed.