NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory tested a lithium-fed Magnetohydrodynamic thruster on February 24 at power levels [exceeding any previous test in the United States. This is a technology that has been researched since the 1960s, but has never propelled a vehicle.
The MPD engine differs from existing thrusters by using high currents interacting with a magnetic field to electromagnetically accelerate lithium plasma. During five ignitions, the tungsten electrode at the thruster’s center glowed bright white, reaching over 5,000°F (2,800°C).
