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Collection:
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NASA Great Images in Nasa Collection
Collection
NASA Great Images in Nasa Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Ion Engine Test Firing
Title
Ion Engine Test Firing
Title
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Full Description:
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This image of a xenon ion engine, photographed through a port of the vacuum chamber where it was being tested at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, shows the faint blue glow of charged atoms being emitted from the engine. The ion propulsion engine is the first non-chemical propulsion to be used as the primary means of propelling a spacecraft. The first flight in NASA's New Millennium Program, Deep Space 1 is designed to validate 12 new technologies for scientific space missions of the next century. Ion propulsion was first proposed in the 1950s and NASA performed experiments on this highly efficient propulsion system in the 1960s, but it was not used aboard an American spacecraft until the 1990s. Deep Space 1 was launched in October 1998 as part of NASA's New Millennium Program, which is managed by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena manages JPL for NASA. The almost imperceptible thrust from the ion propulsion system is equivalent to the pressure exerted by a sheet of paper held in the palm of your hand. The ion engine is very slow to pick up speed, but over the long haul it can deliver 10 times as much thrust per pound of fuel as more traditional rockets. Unlike the fireworks of most chemical rockets using solid or liquid fuels, the ion drive emits only an eerie blue glow as ionized (electrically charged) atoms of xenon are pushed out of the engine. Xenon is the same gas found in photo flash tubes and many lighthouse bulbs.
Full_Description
This image of a xenon ion engine, photographed through a port of the vacuum chamber where it was being tested at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, shows the faint blue glow of charged atoms being emitted from the engine. The ion propulsion engine is the first non-chemical propulsion to be used as the primary means of propelling a spacecraft. The first flight in NASA's New Millennium Program, Deep Space 1 is designed to validate 12 new technologies for scientific space missions of the next century. Ion propulsion was first proposed in the 1950s and NASA performed experiments on this highly efficient propulsion system in the 1960s, but it was not used aboard an American spacecraft until the 1990s. Deep Space 1 was launched in October 1998 as part of NASA's New Millennium Program, which is managed by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena manages JPL for NASA. The almost imperceptible thrust from the ion propulsion system is equivalent to the pressure exerted by a sheet of paper held in the palm of your hand. The ion engine is very slow to pick up speed, but over the long haul it can deliver 10 times as much thrust per pound of fuel as more traditional rockets. Unlike the fireworks of most chemical rockets using solid or liquid fuels, the ion drive emits only an eerie blue glow as ionized (electrically charged) atoms of xenon are pushed out of the engine. Xenon is the same gas found in photo flash tubes and many lighthouse bulbs.
Full Description
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Date:
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01/01/1999
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NASA Center:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory
NASA_Center
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
NASA Center
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Subject Category:
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Space Probes
Subject_Category
Space Probes
Subject Category
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Subject Category:
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Rocket Propulsion
Subject_Category
Rocket Propulsion
Subject Category
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Keywords:
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Space
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Keywords:
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Laboratory
Keywords
Laboratory
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Jet
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Keywords:
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Propulsion
Keywords
Propulsion
Keywords
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Keywords:
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JPL
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Keywords:
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Ion
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Keywords:
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I
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Keywords:
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New
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Keywords:
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Program
Keywords
Program
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Engine
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Keywords:
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Deep
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Keywords:
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Xenon
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Keywords:
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Millennium
Keywords
Millennium
Keywords
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Audience:
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General Public
Audience
General Public
Audience
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facet_what:
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Deep Space 1
facet_what
Deep Space 1
facet_what
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facet_what:
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ion engine
facet_what
ion engine
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Washington
facet_where
Washington
facet_where
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facet_where:
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California
facet_where
California
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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facet_when:
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October 1998
facet_when
October 1998
facet_when
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facet_when:
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01-01-1999
facet_when
01-01-1999
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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1998
facet_when_year
1998
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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1999
facet_when_year
1999
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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P49722BC
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original_url:
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original_url
original_url
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UID:
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SPD-GRIN-GPN-2000-00 0482
UID
SPD-GRIN-GPN-2000-00 0482
UID
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Center:
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JPL
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Center Number:
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P49722BC
Center_Number
P49722BC
Center Number
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GRIN DataBase Number:
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GPN-2000-000482
GRIN_DataBase_Number
GPN-2000-000482
GRIN DataBase Number
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Creator-Photographer:
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NASA
Creator-Photographer
NASA
Creator-Photographer
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Original Source:
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DIGITAL
Original_Source
DIGITAL
Original Source
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