Closed electron drift plasma thruster with a steerable thrust vector

A closed electron drift plasma thruster having a steerable thrust vector, the thruster comprising at least one main annular ionization and acceleration channel fitted with an anode and ionizable gas feed means, a magnetic circuit for creating a magnetic field in said main annular channel, and a hollow cathode associated with the ionizable gas feed means, wherein the thruster comprises a plurality of main annular ionization and acceleration channels having axes that are not parallel and that converge downstream from the outlets of said main annular channels, wherein the magnetic circuit for creating a magnetic field comprises a first external polepiece that is downstream and common to all of the annular channels, a second external polepiece common to all of annular channels and that is disposed upstream from the downstream first external polepiece, a plurality of internal polepieces in number equal to the number of main annular channels and mounted on first cores disposed about the axes of the main annular channels, a plurality of first coils disposed respectively around the plurality of first cores, and a plurality of second coils mounted on second cores disposed in empty spaces left between the main annular channels, said second cores of the second coils being interconnected via their upstream portions by ferromagnetic bars and being connected via their downstream portions to said downstream first external polepiece, and wherein the thruster comprises means for regulating the ionizable gas feed flow rate to each of the main annular channels and means for controlling the ion discharge and acceleration current in the main annular channels.