Classification of Propulsion

In the initial years, solid and liquid propellants were used to propel the rockets but due to advancement in technology and demerits existing in the conventional methods, scientists have discovered new and efficient propulsion techniques. Let us see how these propulsion techniques are classified

Present- day propulsion techniques

These are the propulsion techniques, which are currently being employed to propel the spacecraft One of the major limitation of these techniques is that enormous amounts of mass must be expelled to create required thrust. This would increase cost of sending the spacecraft.

Chemical Propulsion

Nuclear Fission Propulsion

Electrothermal Propulsion

Future propulsion techniques

These techniques are being developed to reduce the cost of sending payload in space and increase efficiency. Space agencies are testing some of these techniques and exploring others to devise method for thrust generation.

Currently, it costs about $10,000 per pound to launch an object into space. The space agencies are trying to reduce this price to about few hundred dollars per pound.

Now we see study the above listed propulsion techniques in detail.

Nuclear Fusion Propulsion

Electromagnetic Propulsion

Electrostatic Propulsion

Laser Propulsion

Microwave Propulsion

Air breathing Propulsion

Antimatter Propulsion

Tether Technology

Now let us see each one of them in detail.