Near zero-mass change propulsion system for interplanetary and interstellar spacecraft

A propulsion system with near-zero mass change for a spacecraft operating in at least one of an interplanetary vacuum environment and an interstellar vacuum environment, comprising:

• at least one motor comprising:
• at least one emitter configured to emit electrons into at least one of the interplanetary vacuum environment and the interstellar vacuum environment to form a beam of electrons along a trajectory of the spacecraft;
• at least one target positioned at a distance from the at least one emitter, the at least one target being composed of an electrically conductive material and configured to receive the beam of electrons;
• and
• at least one conductor electrically coupling the at least one target to the at least one emitter, wherein electrons received by the at least one target are returned to the at least one emitter via the at least one conductor, thereby maintaining electric charge neutrality of the spacecraft;
• the propulsion system further comprising:
• at least one dynamic charge neutralisation system;
• at least one sensor;
• at least one control mechanism;
• at least one energy source configured to supply power to the at least one motor, the at least one dynamic charge neutralisation system, at least one payload of the spacecraft, the at least one sensor, and the at least one control mechanism;
• and
• at least one frame having a main axis aligned with a trajectory of the spacecraft and configured to support the at least one motor, the at least one dynamic charge neutralisation system, the at least one payload, the at least one sensor, the at least one control mechanism, and the at least one energy source;
• wherein the at least one motor includes two distinct paths for electron movement, the two distinct paths comprising a first electron movement path and a second electron movement path, the first electron movement path comprising an emitter-target path between the at least one emitter and the at least one target through at least one of the interplanetary vacuum environment and the interstellar vacuum environment, and the second electron movement path comprising a conductor return path through the at least one conductor, wherein propulsion of the spacecraft results from a difference between momentum change of electrons travelling along the emitter-target path and momentum change of electrons travelling along the conductor return path, wherein electrons travelling along the emitter-target path interact with an external electric field such that work performed by the external electric field causes a decrease in momentum of the emitted electrons before the emitted electrons are received by the at least one target, and wherein electrons travelling along the conductor return path are shielded by the at least one conductor from the external electric field such that momentum exchange between the electrons travelling along the conductor return path and the external electric field is lower than momentum exchange occurring along the emitter-target path, thereby producing propulsion of the spacecraft in a direction opposite to propagation of the beam of electrons.