Harnessing Ion Propulsion for Satellite Orbits: Having recently witnessed a home-based engineer's extraordinary achievement of creating an ion propulsion engine using primarily 3D printed parts, I was inspired to ponder a new application for this technology.

The Basics of Ion Propulsion But first, a quick introduction to ion propulsion. This fascinating technology relies on the acceleration of particles to produce a reactive force. This may sound complicated, but it's pretty much akin to the principle of jet propulsion - only, in this case, we're using ions. The ion engine takes a gas and ionizes it by adding or removing electrons to produce ions. These ions are then accelerated by an electric field, which generates force and propels the engine forward.

Scaling to Space: An Ambitious Plan Now, the biggest hurdle facing this technology in terms of space exploration is the lack of particles in the vacuum of space to ionize and accelerate. However, I have an idea that might offer a solution. If we consider a satellite following an elliptical orbit, one that continuously swings it back and forth between the edge of space and the uppermost layer of the atmosphere, we could utilize the ion propulsion engine for propulsion during the periods the satellite is within the Earth's atmosphere.

During these periods, the ion propulsion engine would accelerate the available atmospheric particles, producing a force that propels the satellite further. This would enable the satellite to maintain its momentum, and with each swing back into space, it would climb to a slightly higher altitude. The cycle repeats, eventually expanding the range and altitude of the satellite.

Conclusion: An Exciting Frontier While this concept is still in the ideation stage and would require further research and development, the potential implications of this technology could be monumental. We could be looking at a low-cost, efficient method of scaling to space, reducing the barriers to entry for smaller organizations and even individuals looking to explore

Post Script: This was all prompted by a super cool YouTube Channel I recently started watching.