Technology: propulsion: ion drive

Self-tutoring about new technologies: the tutor mentions ion drive.

Ion drive creates ions from stable particles, then accelerates them out the back by an electric field, generating thrust. The thrust is very low, but expends even less mass compared with a standard “burning” rocket. In particular, the forward propulsion per kilogram expended can be ten times as high as with a “burning” rocket engine.

The Dawn space probe is equipped with ion drive.

Source:

cosmosmagazine.com