How to Colonize
an Asteroid
How to Colonize
an Asteroid
Ion engines produce thrust by accelerating a plasma on an electron beam. They have a very high exhaust velocity, but it has very little reaction mass. This type of system is showing great promise for use in the next decade or two.
NASA launched the first ion powerd space craft, "Deep Space One", on October 24, 1998. This craft is a testbed for new technologies, including the ion engine and an autonomous navigational system. Deep Space One uses ionized Xenon for fuel, and will visit some asteroids.
