•  Sonori   ( @sonori@beehaw.org ) 
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    9 months ago

    Ion and Hall effect thrusters have high efficiencies, but absurdly small thrusts. They work in situations where you can burn for months on end to get the same change in velocity a few minutes worth of a chemical rocket, but would never be able to lift even their own weight off earth.

    I also don’t the think that you can even get one to function as deep into the atmosphere as ground level as the would just ark across the potential instead.