New iodine-based plasma thruster tested in orbit Iodine doesn't need a high-pressure propellant tank, as it can be stored as a solid.

"Iodine ion engine." Say that 10 times really fast.

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The iodine molecules are then given an electric charge and accelerated by a grid, producing up to 1.1 mN of thrust and a specific impulse of up to 2,400 seconds.

A spacecraft thruster that relies on iodine has been successfully tested in an orbiting satellite (Nature 2021, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04015-y).The propulsion system is a form of ion drive, which ...