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  • VISION. RESEARCH. INNOVATION.
    ADVANCED IN-SPACE PROPULSION.
    Look inside HPEPL's vacuum test facility 2 (VTF-2), one of the largest chambers in academia
  • RIT-10 – Operating (no neutralizer) with RPA
  • Laser Thomson Scattering - Plasma Cell Rig
  • P5 HET Operating on Nitrogen, 300 V, 12.8 A
  • Laser Thomson Scattering in an Argon Plasma Jet
  • H9 Heaterless LaB6 Cathode, 40 A
  • Cylindrical Helicon Discharge chamber using Ammonia
  • COMET Hall Effect Thruster operating in HPEPL's VTF-2
  • Plume characterization tests for a gridded helicon thruster - 600 W
  • 200-W Hall Thruster

About HPEPL:

The High-Power Electric Propulsion Laboratory (HPEPL) at the Georgia Institute of Technology Department of Aerospace Engineering was founded in 2005 under the direction of Prof. Mitchell Walker. Our primary interests lie in the characterization of electric propulsion (EP) devices, plasma physics, non-invasive plasma diagnostics, and vacuum test facility effects on ther performance of EP devices. 
 

Our Mission:

To advance our understanding of plasma physics and further the technology of electric propulsion devices for future space applications 

Our Goals:

1) To increase the performance and efficiency of high-power electric propulsion devices

2) To identify and understand spacecraft integration issues that may prevent widespread use of EP systems on spacecraft

3) To understand the life-limiting factors of EP devices

4) To identify non-propulsion applications of EP systems (e.g., space-plasma simulation and re-entry flow simulation)

Lab Capabilities

HPEPL is a leading academic research lab with an array of capabilities suitable for advancing research in electric propulsion technology. Learn more of HPEPL's laboratory facilities, EP devices, and plasma diagnostics below:

Facilities

An extensive overview of HPEPL's high-vacuum test facilities, supporting mechanical equipment, and controlled environments for assembly & integration of EP devices. 

Thrusters

Electric propulsion devices and plasma sources used for research in our laboratory.

Diagnostics

A comprehensive description of HPEPL's plasma diagnostics.

News

The latest developments regarding our research, personnel accomplishments, and publications.