It was once believed that bigger Hall thrusters would equate to more thrust potential, making spacecraft more powerful. New research from the University of Michigan suggests that smaller Hall thrusters can generate more thrust and open the possibility of interplanetary orbit or a crewed mission to Mars. Benjamin Jorns, U-M associate professor of aerospace engineering, and his team were able to increase the current pushed through a given thruster to challenge the previously believed notions on Hall thrusters.
