Propellant Free Electric Propulsion for Space Applications (Barrow-in-Furness)

Highlighting the work to develop atmosphere breathing ion space propulsion - a fundamental shift from heavy, finite onboard propellant tanks to continuous ionospheric particle harvesting.
Under standard propulsion models, orbital manoeuvring, payload fraction, and operational longevity are tightly constrained by initial launch mass limits and stored propellant exhaustion. Replacing stored chemical or noble gas propellants with an atmospheric-breathing system converts environmental drag into propulsive mass.
Space mission architecture is severely restricted by the launch mass fraction bottleneck. Carrying additional fuel requires larger propellant tanks, heavier structural reinforcement, and larger launch vehicles, ultimately suppressing payload capacity to marginal fractions of total launch mass.
The engineering architecture behind the ABIE platform bridges classic jet engine intake principles with electrodynamic particle acceleration. Rather than relying on stored, pressurised propellants, the engine harvests ambient atmospheric particles, and utilises non-contact electromagnetic field geometries to accelerate and exhaust ions at ultra-high velocities.
This design eliminates mechanical turbomachinery, moving valves, and physical grid electrodes, creating a solid-state electrodynamic propulsion cycle.

Speaker: Guy Peters, Turner & Townsend

Organised by: IET/BDAE
Contact: Anne Morris, (anne.morris@ietvolunteer.org)