Solar electric propulsion provides such high fuel economy that it reduces the amount of propellant required onboard vehicles for deep space missions by as much as 90 percent.
Solar electric propulsion spacecraft.
This technology has been exploited in a variety of spacecraft by the european space agency the japanese space agency indian space research organisation and nasa.
Solar electric propulsion refers to the combination of solar cells and electric thrusters to propel a spacecraft through outer space.
Nasa s solar electric propulsion sep project is developing critical technologies to enable cost effective new trips to mars and to asteroids across the inner solar system and also to support a variety of commercial spaceflight activities.
Solar electric propulsion as nasa plans to extend human presence across the solar system including the moon and mars it also seeks to shorten the time required to develop and apply transformative technologies that increase the nation s capabilities in space enable future missions and support a variety of commercial spaceflight activities.
As of 2019 over 500 spacecraft operated throughout the solar system use electric propulsion for station keeping orbit raising or primary propulsion.
In the future the most advanced electric thrusters may be able to impart a delta v of 100 km s which is enough to take a spacecraft to the outer planets of the solar system with nuclear power but is insufficient for interstellar travel.