Electric propulsion using C60 molecules

摘要

Fullerene propellants, which are stable carbon cage structures composed of even numbers of carbon atoms in the range of about 32 to 200 atoms, particularly a combination of conveniently obtainable C60 and C70, may be carried in solid form in a spacecraft, sublimated to produce the appropriate molecular propellant such as C60 or C70, which may then be ionized by DC discharge or RF radiation to efficiently produce specific impulses in the range above 1000 lbf -s/lbm.