Glossary

Poussée; thrust

Force exerted by the acceleration and ejection of propellant, based on the conservation of momentum. Thrust is used to move a space vehicle.

Impulsion spécifique; specific impulse

Variation in the momentum of a satellite produced by a given mass of propellant. We show that the I _sp is proportional to the ergol ejection velocity. This quantity defines the efficiency of the system in terms of ergol consumption.

Ergol; propellant

Fuel used in chemical propulsion; by extension, material used in electric propulsion to generate thrust.

Plasma; plasma

This is the fourth and most energetic state of matter. It is a dilute medium containing electrically charged particles...