List of spacecraft with electric propulsion
Some spacecraft equipped with electric propulsion are listed in chronological order . This can be both cruise engines and engines for position correction in earth orbit. It is not listed whether it is the only engine or whether several (different) engine types are used on a spacecraft. Main or auxiliary engines are also not named.
The start year or time is given, sometimes also a period of time.
| Name of the spacecraft / satellite | year | Type of drive | Country / organization | comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERT 1 | July 20, 1964 | Mercury ion propulsion | USA / NASA | Space Electric Rocket Test , suborbital (31 min), first demonstration of an ion thruster in space |
| Zone 2 | Nov 30, 1964 - May 14, 1965 | Pulsed plasma engine (PPT, PTFE) | USSR | Commonly considered the first application of electric space propulsion in space |
| Program 661A Flight 21-2 | Aug 29, 1964 | Ion propulsion | USA / USAF | suborbital, experimental test |
| Program 661A Flight 21-3 | Dec 21, 1964 | Ion propulsion | USA / USAF | suborbital, experimental test |
| Snapshot | Apr 3, 1965 | Cesium ion propulsion | USA / USAF / Army | (experimental: 1 hour), nuclear reactor SNAP-10A |
| Zone 3 | July 18, 1965 | Pulsed plasma thrusters (PTFE) | USSR | Engine failed after take-off (problems with power supply) |
| ATS-4 | Aug 10, 1968 | Cesium ion propulsion | USA / NASA | (experimental), Applications Technology Satellite |
| LES-6 | 26 Sep 1968 | Pulsed plasma thrusters (PTFE) | USA / USAF | Lincoln Experimental Satellite |
| ATS-5 | Aug 12, 1969 | Cesium ion propulsion | USA / NASA | (experimental) |
| SERT 2A | Feb. 4, 1970 | Mercury ion propulsion | USA / NASA | (experimental), drives worked until 1981 |
| Meteor 1-10 | Dec 29, 1971 | Mercury plasma engine | USSR | Weather satellite , engine from FAKEL design office |
| L-4SC-3 | Aug 20, 1974 | Pulsed plasma engine (PTFE) | Japan / ISAS | (experimental) |
| SMS | 17th May 1974 | Pulsed plasma engine (PTFE) | USA / NASA | "Synchronous Meteorological Satellite" |
| ATS-6 | May 30, 1974 | Cesium ion propulsion | USA / NASA | (experimental) (92 hours) |
| Meteor-Priroda 1-18 | July 9, 1974 | Xenon Hall Effect drive | USSR | (experimental?), weather satellite |
| Cosmos-728 | Apr. 18, 1975 | Magnetoplasmic dynamic drive | USSR | Spy satellite |
| TIP-2 | Oct 12, 1975 | Pulsed plasma engine (PTFE) | USA / US Navy | Transit Improvement Program (Triad / NOVA), test |
| LES-8 / LES-9 | 15th Mar 1976 | Pulsed plasma engine (PTFE) | USA / USAF | Lincoln Experimental Satellite , (experimental) |
| TIP-3 | Sep 1 1976 | Pulsed plasma engine (PTFE) | USA / US Navy | Transit Improvement Program (Triad / NOVA), test |
| SCATHA (P78-2) | Jan. 30, 1979 | Xenon ion source | USA / USAF | Satellite Positive Ion Beam System (SPIBS) , not a thruster in the strict sense |
| Intelsat-5 F-2 | Dec 6, 1980 | Hydrazine resistojets | USA / ITSO / Inmarsat | Communications satellite , eight satellites by 1984 |
| MS-T4 (Tansei-4) | Feb. 17, 1980 | Magnetoplasmic dynamic drive (ammonia) | Japan | (experimental) |
| ETS-4 (Kiku 3) | Feb 11, 1981 | Pulsed plasma propulsion (PTFE), ion propulsion | Japan / NASDA | Engineering Test Satellite (experimental) |
| MDT-2A | Dec. 7, 1981 | Pulsed plasma engine (PTFE) | China | (ballistic flight) |
| SEPAC ( STS-9 ) | Nov 28, 1983 | Magnetoplasmic dynamic drive | USA / Japan | Japanese (experimental) engine |
| Nova-3 | Oct 12, 1984 | Pulsed plasma engine (PTFE) | USA / US Navy | Transit Improvement Program (Triad / NOVA) |
| Nova-2 | June 16, 1988 | Pulsed plasma engine (PTFE) | USA / US Navy | Transit Improvement Program (Triad / NOVA) |
| EURECA | 1992-93 | RIT ion thruster RITA-10 | Europe | |
| LMC 7000 | 1993+ | Arcjet MR-508/509 | USA / Lockheed / Aerojet | Communication satellites |
| Gals | Jan. 20, 1994 | Ion engine SPT-100 | Russia | Communications satellite, test of the Fakel SPT-100 engine |
| ETS-6 (Kiku 6) | Aug 28, 1994 | Xenon ion propulsion XIPS | Japan / NASDA | (experimental) |
| Space Flyer Unit ( SFU ) | 1995-1996 | magnetoplasmic dynamic drive | Japan | EPEX (Electric Propulsion Experiment), ( STS-72 ) |
| Gals-2 | Nov 17, 1995 | Ion engine SPT-100 | Russia | Communications satellite |
| A2100 | 1997+ | Arcjet MR-510 | USA / Lockheed / Aerojet | Communication satellites |
| PAS-5 | Aug 28, 1997 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | USA / Hughes / PanAmSat | based on satellite bus HS-601HP or BSS-601HP (first commercial satellite with ion propulsion) |
| Galaxy 8i | Dec 8, 1997 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | USA / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| Astra 2A | Aug 30, 1998 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | Luxembourg / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| STEX | Oct 3, 1998 | Xenon Hall Effect Drive | United States | EPDM (Electric Propulsion Demonstration Module): Russian / American development (engine: TAL-D55) |
| Deep Space 1 | Oct. 24, 1998-2001 | Xenon ion engine NSTAR | NASA / USA | |
| Satmex 5 | Dec 5, 1998 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | Mexico / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| PAS 6B (Intelsat 6B) | Dec 21, 1998 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | USA / PanAmSat / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| ARGOS (P91-1) | Feb 23, 1999 | Ammonia Arcjet ESEX | USA / USAF / Aerojet | military experimental satellite, ESEX (Electric Propulsion Space Experiment) |
| Astra 1H | June 18, 1999 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | Luxembourg / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| Yamal (Jamal) 101 and 102 | 6 Sep 1999 | Fakel SPD-70 plasma engines | Russia / RKK Energija | Communication satellites (see also Yamal 202 ) |
| DirecTV 1R | Oct 10, 1999 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | USA / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| Satellites based on the bus HS-702 / BSS-702 | from December 22, 1999 (first launch) | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | Hughes / Boeing / USA | first satellite: Galaxy 11 |
| Galaxy 10R | Jan 25, 2000 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | USA / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| Superbird 4 | Feb. 18, 2000 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | Japan / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| SESAT 1 (Siberia - Europe Satellites) | Apr 17, 2000 | 8 Fakel SPD-100 plasma engines | Russia / France / NPO PM / Alcatel Alenia Space | Communication satellite, Ekspress satellite bus from NPO PM |
| Galaxy 4R | Apr 19, 2000 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | USA / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| MightySat II.1 | June 19, 2000 | Pulsed plasma engine (PTFE) | USA / AFRL | Experimental satellite |
| PAS 9 (Intelsat 9) | July 28, 2000 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | USA / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| AMSAT phase 3-D ( OSCAR 40 ) | Nov 16, 2000 | Ammonia Arcjet ATOS | BRD / AMSAT | |
| EO-1 | Nov 21, 2000 | Pulsed plasma engine (PTFE) | USA / NASA | "Earth Observing-1" |
| PAS 10 (Intelsat 10) | May 15, 2001 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | Luxembourg / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| Astra 2C | June 16, 2001 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | Luxembourg / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| Artemis | July 12, 2001 | Radio frequency ion thruster | Europe / ESA | two RIT-10 and two T5 engines |
| DirecTV 4S | Nov 27, 2001 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | USA / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| AsiaSat 4 | Apr 11, 2003 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | China / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| Hayabusa | May 9, 2003 - June 13, 2010 | Xenon ion thruster | Japan | |
| SMART-1 | 28 Sep 2003 - September 3, 2006 | Hall-effect thruster PPS-1350 | ESA | |
| Galaxy 13 (Horizons 1) | Oct. 1, 2003 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | USA / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| Yamal-200 | Nov 24, 2003 | Fakel SPD-70 plasma engines | Russia / RKK Energija | Communication satellites |
| AMC 12 (Astra 4A / Star One C12) | Feb 3, 2005 | 4 SPT-100 plasma thrusters | USA / Alcatel Space | Communication satellite based on Alcatel Alenia Spacebus-4000C3 |
| AMC 23 | Dec 29, 2005 | 4 SPT-100 plasma thrusters | USA / Alcatel Alenia | Communication satellite based on Alcatel Alenia Spacebus-4000C3 |
| MEASAT 3 | Dec 11, 2006 | Xenon ion thruster XIPS | Malaysia / Hughes / Boeing | based on the HS-601HP or BSS-601HP satellite bus |
| TacSat-2 | Dec 16, 2006 | Hall effect thruster BHT-200 | USA / USAF / Busek | Microsatellite Propulsion Integration (MPI) experiment |
| FalconSat-3 | 9 Mar 2007 | Pulsed plasma engine (PTFE) | USA / USAF / Busek | Experimental satellite |
| Dawn | 27 Sep 2007 | 3 NSTAR ion thrusters | NASA / USA | 425 kg xenon |
| GOCE | May 17, 2009 | 2 ion thrusters | ESA | |
| Microscope | Apr 25, 2016 | 4 times 3 ion thrusters (cesium) | France / CNES / ONERA | FEEP ( Field Emission Electric Propulsion ) |