12 May 2025

Radio-frequency ion micropropulsion flight-tested on the Taiji-1 satellite

Space and aerospace
AI illustration · Illustrative scene, not a photograph of the specific device or experiment.

What was demonstrated

In-orbit tests of the radio-frequency ion micropropulsion system on Taiji-1, a satellite launched in August 2019, showed that all four thrusters passed their key performance tests. The paper reports a thrust range of about 5 to 52 μN, a thrust response time of about 20 ms, and a thrust noise of about 0.4 μN/√Hz at 50 μN thrust. The authors say the in-orbit characterisation has reached the expectations of the Taiji-1 mission.

Why it matters

The paper reports an in-orbit check of this thruster design. It shows that the system operated in space on one flight system, which is a step beyond ground testing alone. The authors also say its performance needs further improvement.

Caveats

  • The authors state that the current in-orbit thrust resolution, thrust noise and lifetime fall short of the goals of the Taiji programme and require further enhancement.
  • The abstract gives no numerical lifetime, so the result does not establish operating life over a full mission.
  • Taiji-1 is a mission satellite in the Taiji programme. The result covers one flight system and does not show suitability for other propulsion applications.
  • The event date is the paper's publication date. The abstract does not give the dates of the in-orbit tests.

Technology profiles

Sources

  1. peer reviewed paper
    In-orbit characterization of radio-frequency ion micropropulsion in Taiji-1
    Longfei Ma, Jianwu He, Chao Yang et al.. American Physical Society, 12 May 2025. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.111.103023.

Last reviewed 22 Oct 2026.