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Why Ion Engines?


bigpapabearxx

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I throw them on satellites that I may want to change the orbit of.

I hear they can be good for long interplanetary journeys as well. As they can burn for a really long time, thus increasing your speed over long distances.

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Ion engines have a far, far higher efficiency than standard rocket engines. Specific Impulse (ISP) is a measure of efficiency; normal rockets are in the 300-400 range, nuclear engines are at 800 in a vacuum, jet engines are 2000 in-atmosphere, and ion engines are a whopping 4200. Ions make up for this with an atrocious thrust value and the need for a lot of electricity.

If you're making a small, unmanned probe that's going to go orbit some distant planet or moon, you're far better off using ions to do so. A conventional rocket simply won't be able to carry enough fuel to get to an orbit around someplace like Moho (unless you make it ridiculously huge), but ions can do it easily, even if launched from low Kerbin orbit. The problem is that due to their low thrust, you can't really use them for anything larger than that unmanned probe; a manned rocket would be so heavy that ions would take forever to get any appreciable acceleration. Even that small unmanned probe will have uncomfortably long burn times, but at least it'll still be measured in minutes instead of hours.

Edited by Spatzimaus
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Ion engines are also excellent for kerbolar observing probes intended for low orbit:

33vdr91.jpg

Circularising at low Kerbolar orbit takes extraordinary amount of delta-V and an ion stage can give you 10km/s fairly easily. Close proximity to the sun also boosts the output of your solar panels by many times their normal Kerbin value so you don't need giganator panels to further mess up your TWR.

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Some tips for ion probes, first is that you want them as light as possible.

1-3 tanks, one ion engine, do not use the large solar panels as they are heavy, use the small one who fold outward and put on an tower of small struts. Payload might be iso mapsat and the small kerthane detector, the large is to heavy and the science packs.

Test on launchpad to see how many solar panels you need however if you go to Moho or inward you need fewer, going towards jool and you need 60% more,

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