NASA is advancing space travel with a powerful 12-kilowatt Hall motor, part of an advanced electric propulsion system being tested at Glenn Research Center.

This thruster uses ionized xenon for efficient thrust, playing a key role in the Lunar Gateway Station for the Artemis missions and laying the groundwork for future Mars exploration.

NASA AEPS engine test

The blue hue of the Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) is seen inside a vacuum chamber at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland during a recent motor qualification test. The 12-kilowatt Hall motor is the most powerful electric motor in production and will be critical to future science and exploration missions to the Moon and beyond.

Blue smoke is a steady stream of ionized xenon gas that is expelled to create low, high-efficiency thrust. These electric propulsion systems propel spacecraft to extremely high speeds using only a fraction of the fuel required for chemical propulsion systems, making electric propulsion systems an excellent choice for deep space exploration and science missions.

Gateway Device: Enabling Deep Space Missions

The three AEPS engines will be mounted on the Gateway’s core component, the Power and Propulsion Element. The small lunar space station is critical to the Artemis agency’s missions to help prepare for human missions to Mars. The Power and Propulsion element will provide power, high-speed communications, and enable the Gateway to maintain its unique orbit around the Moon.

The AEPS engine recently returned to NASA Glenn for further qualification testing to confirm the engines’ suitability for flight.