--- title: "The Most Powerful Ion Drive Ever is About to Blast a Spacecraft to Mercury" description: "The ESA's BepiColombo spacecraft just completed its first tests of its ion thruster propulsion system that will take it to Mercury." date: "2018-12-06" modified: "2018-12-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/most-powerful-ion-drive-ever-blast-spacecraft-mercury" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "ESA" - "ion thruster" - "Mercury" --- # The Most Powerful Ion Drive Ever is About to Blast a Spacecraft to Mercury ![]() *\Image: ESA\* ## Exotic Thrusters While we have yet to figure out how to [travel by warp drive](), we have found other ways for spacecraft to propel themselves at mind-boggling speeds across vast distances of outer space. Ion drives, for instance, have enabled spacecraft like the NASA's *Deep Space 1* and *Dawn* to travel years at a time at record-breaking speeds. And now, a European-Japanese mission is ready to fire up the [most powerful ion thrusters yet]() on its long journey to Mercury after successfully making its first maneuver in space. ## Epic Road Trip The BepiColombo mission that launched from Earth on October 19 wants to send a carrier spacecraft, and two piggybacking orbiters, to Mercury — a journey of 5.6 billion miles (9 billion kilometers) that [will include]() nine flybys of Earth, Venus and Mercury, and 18 loops around the Sun to gain momentum. The spacecraft will take seven long years to get there, despite its pair of extremely powerful ion thrusters — the most powerful ever built. Ion thrusters use positively charged ions — from particles of an on-board fuel source like xenon gas — to create thrust. Particles get charged with electricity, usually provided by solar arrays, and then shot out the back like a cannon. ## Slow and Steady To put the spacecraft's ion thruster's force into perspective, a [statement by the ESA]() compared full throttle from one of its two thrusters to the force of "holding an AAA battery at sea level." Yes, that sounds weak. But it'll be burning its ion thrusters for long stretches at a time — a series of 22 long burns, each lasting up to two months. The first burn is planned to start mid-December. Because after all, slow and steady wins the race. **READ MORE:** [The Most Powerful Ion Drive in Space Is Ready for Its Visit to Mercury]() \[Space.com\] ***More on ion propulsion: [The European Space Agency’s New Ion Thruster “Breathes” Air]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()