Mini ion thruster tested in orbit. Free Technical Library News

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Mini ion thruster tested in orbit

11.09.2019

The Chinese Academy of Sciences has successfully tested a miniature ion thruster in orbit that could extend the life of small satellites and prevent them from becoming space debris.

An ion thruster is a type of electric rocket motor that generates thrust from ionized molecules accelerated to high speeds in an electric field. These engines use liquid metals (usually cesium, indium, and mercury) as propellants and are fuel efficient.

According to Chinese engineers, their 300-gram ion thruster is the ideal propulsion system for small satellites, helping them maintain their desired orbital altitude for years to come. If the satellite is no longer needed, the ion drive can take it to a safe distance from active satellites, eliminating the risk of collision.

More than 7600 tons of space debris have already accumulated in Earth orbit and in the vicinity. This is more than 750 thousand objects with a diameter of more than 1 centimeter, not counting millions of smaller fragments. Mostly these are the remains of rockets and satellites.

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Microbes and nuggets 05.09.2004

A characteristic picture of many gold deposits: gold occurs in the form of the smallest particles scattered in the main rock, and in some places more or less large flakes and even nuggets come across.

Australian geologists have studied one of these deposits in New South Wales and concluded that the flakes and nuggets of gold are created by microbes. On the surface of gold flakes, formations similar to bubbles are often visible under a microscope.

Sensitive analysis made it possible to find traces of bacterial DNA in them. Taking fungi and bacteria from a gold mine, geologists placed them in solutions of gold compounds. On the surface of the colonies of microorganisms, the deposition of atomic layers of gold began, repeating the shape of the colony. This is the beginning of the formation of a nugget.

The process is very slow, and the appearance of large nuggets weighing hundreds of grams and kilograms took, apparently, millions of years. Knowing which types of microorganisms concentrate gold, geologists will be able to discover new deposits by their presence in the soil.

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