Iodine propellant rf ion thruster with rf cathode

Abstract

A thrust producing system includes an RF ion thruster with a discharge chamber having a gas inlet and an outlet, and a coil about the discharge chamber. The system further includes an RF cathode proximate the discharge chamber outlet of the RF ion thruster for ion beam neutralization. The RF cathode includes a discharge chamber having a gas inlet and an outlet and a coil about the discharge chamber. A tank for containing iodine in solid form and a heater associated with said tank to produce iodine vapor. A feed subsystem fluidly couples the tank with the RF ion thruster discharge chamber gas inlet and with the RF cathode discharge chamber gas inlet.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.