GoKawiilUniversity of Stuttgart PhD tests engine that turns atmosphere into satellite fuel
Francesco Romano, a PhD researcher at the University of Stuttgart, has designed a plasma engine that ingests thin atmospheric gases at very low Earth orbit altitudes and converts them into thrust, detailed in a paper posted to arXiv. The concept, known as atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion, aims to let satellites stay in orbit without carrying conventional propellant such as xenon. So far the design has only been tested in laboratory conditions and simulations, not on an actual spacecraft.