Welcome to the

Electric Propulsion Lab

Elevate Society. Create Wonder.

About the EPLab

The Electric Propulsion Laboratory (EPLab) contains space vacuum simulation facilities for investigating advanced space propulsion and plasmadynamic systems. The laboratory includes three vacuum chambers and associated high throughput vacuum pumps, a long-period pendulum thrust stand, a null-type inverted pendulum thrust stand, numerous plasma plume diagnostics, and high-speed data acquisition systems. The laboratory has a rich research history, including DC and pulsed arcjet electrothermal thrusters, Teflon pulsed plasma thrusters, electrode erosion, solar sails, and high-power electromagnetic propulsion. Recent research activities have included synthesis and testing of new chemical and electric rocket propellants, development of a new small satellite propulsion concept called multi-mode micro-propulsion, exploration of electric solid propellant for pulsed plasma thrusters, characterization of gas breakdown characteristics of pulsed inductive plasmas, investigation of nanoparticle manipulation using plasmonic nano-structures, and control of plasma striations in atmospheric pressure plasmas. The EPLab has been fortunate to receive strong steady funding from NASA, AFOSR, AFRL, DoE, and industry, including collaborative programs with CU Aerospace.

Matt Paliwoda's Plasma Photonic Crystals

Matthew Paliwoda's Plasma Photonic Crystals

Joshua Tompkins' Microwave ECR Ion Thruster

Chris Lyne's Electrospray Thruster

Nicolas Rasmont's PSI Plume

NEWS

Congrats to Dr. Chris Lyne on passing his PhD defense! Nov. 30, 2023 NASA Space Technology Research Fellow, Chris Lyne has successfully defended his PhD!

EPLab is part of the new ATLAS project Nov. 29, 2023 Georgia Tech introduced a new webpage for their Advancing Technologies for Logistics Architectures in Space (ATLAS) Project.

EPLab wins AFOSR DURIP for new space simulation facility Nov. 22, 2023 The Department of Defense announced awards to 147 university researchers

RESEARCH

Electric Solid Propellant Pulsed Plasma Thruster

Plasmonic Force Propulsion

Multi-mode Microtube-Electrospray Propulsion

Plasma based metamaterials

Hall Thruster Erosion, Surface Properties, Heat Transfer and Carbon transport