Dipole drive for space propulsion

A dipole drive spacecraft system for space propulsion configured to generate a thrust with an ambient space plasma without an onboard propellant comprising:

• a power supply which is a nuclear generator or a solar power system;
• an electron gun;
• two parallel charged screens, including a positive charged screen and a negative charged screen;
• wherein said power supply and said electron gun are configured to maintain a voltage potential difference between said two parallel charged screens, with said voltage potential difference being between 1 volt and 564 kilovolts, or wherein said voltage potential difference being no greater than 3 times a kinetic voltage of the ambient space plasma, to thereby create an electric field between the two parallel charged screens,
• wherein the dipole drive spacecraft system is configured such that when an outward facing normal to the positive charged screen is oriented opposite to a direction of a velocity of the ambient space plasma, the dipole drive spacecraft system accelerates the ambient space plasma thereby generating the thrust along the outward facing normal to the positive charged screen,
• wherein the dipole drive spacecraft system is configured such that when an outward facing normal to the negative charged screen is oriented opposite to the direction of the velocity of the ambient space plasma, the dipole drive spacecraft system decelerates the ambient space plasma thereby generating a drag along the outward facing normal to the negative charged screen, and
• wherein the dipole drive spacecraft system is configured such that when the outward facing normal to the negative charged screen is oriented oblique to the direction of the velocity of the ambient space plasma, the dipole drive spacecraft system reflects the ambient space plasma at an angle of reflection equal to an angle of incidence of the velocity of the ambient space plasma thereby generating a reaction force on the dipole drive spacecraft system equal and opposite to the force applied to the ambient space plasma when the dipole drive spacecraft system reflects the ambient space plasma at the angle of reflection.