Wikipedia:Today's featured article/May 6, 2004

An ion engine

There are many different methods of spacecraft propulsion used to change the velocity of spacecraft and artificial satellites. All current spacecraft use chemical rocket engines (bipropellant or solid-fuel) for launch. A few use some sort of electrical engine for stationkeeping. Interplanetary vehicles mostly use chemical rockets as well, although a few have experimentally used ion thrusters with some success. (more...)

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