Electric Propulsion: An Efficient Approach to Reaching New Destinations

Electric propulsion is a proven technology with major advantages, but it also requires a different way of thinking about how missions are planned and executed. 

NASA’s Dawn, ESA’s BepiColombo, and NASA’s Psyche have already demonstrated the

capabilities of electric propulsion. These missions show how EP can support longer operations, enable new types of trajectories, and accomplish objectives that would be difficult with chemical propulsion alone. 

When most people think about rockets, they imagine massive engines blasting fire and generating millions of newtons of thrust. That picture fits chemical propulsion, but electric propulsion works differently. Instead of explosive power, these systems rely on a continuous, gentle push that builds up over time. The result is a propulsion method that uses fuel far more effectively, but it requires a new way of thinking about how spacecraft travel. 

Electric propulsion offers several clear advantages. The most obvious is that it reduces the amount of propellant a spacecraft must carry. This capability enables longer missions and allows spacecraft to carry less fuel. Reduced propellant mass also frees up capacity for larger payloads. Higher efficiency further extends mission lifetimes and provides greater range and flexibility. 

Electric propulsion also provides precision control. Continuous thrust gives spacecraft the ability to slowly build up delta-v, which can be used to adjust velocity and orbital parameters with accuracy. This is especially valuable for station-keeping, where small amounts of delta-v are applied over time to counter natural forces like gravity and solar radiation that would otherwise alter a spacecraft’s position. 

The same traits that make electric propulsion efficient also present challenges. Planning and designing spacecraft with thrusters that burn continuously over long periods can create challenges in areas such as thermal management, power, and communications. 

Instead of reaching a new orbit in hours or days, spacecraft using EP slowly spiral outward or inward over weeks or months. Designing these trajectories requires a different approach than planning high-thrust chemical maneuvers. For many, it feels counterintuitive that such a small force applied continuously can produce large velocity changes, but you can’t go to the Moon the same way with an electric propulsion system as with a chemical one. Long-duration boost is a slower process, but a very worthwhile one when utilized correctly.  

This is where system-level expertise becomes essential. Serenity’s experience uniquely positions us to help solve these challenges, bringing together systems engineering expertise and practical design solutions to support the use of electric propulsion in future spacecraft.