The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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The Russian-designed SPT-100 Hall-effect electrostatic engine of OKB Fakel is the core of the PPS-1350-G supplied by Snecma Moteurs for the SMART-1 spacecraft of ESA. The Xenon ions are accelerated by the so-called Hall-effect, when the electrical field is created while the current runs across a magnetic field. The engines develops 70 mN of thrust, while its specific impulse is 16,400 m/s.
It was back in 1993 that the OKB Fakel (Russia0, Space Systems/Loral (USA), Snecma Moteurs (France) and Atlantic Research Corporation (USA) formed a joint venture, International Space Technologies Ltd., to market the Russian SPT-100 plasma engine. The PPS-1350 was first installed on the Stentor spacecraft lost in a launch failure in December 2002. By now, these engines have been installed and flown on the Russian GALS and Express and the French-Russian SESAT telecommunications satellites, as well as on a number of Western geostationary satellites (Intelsat X and some of the Astra’s) and the ESA’s SMART-1 technology demonstration mission.
For the new European platform Alphabus with a power system of 12-20 kW Snecma and Fakel are developing a more powerful plasma PPS-5000 with an increased specific impulse of up to 20,000 m/s.