Pulsed plasma thruster Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Pulsed plasma thrusters use an arc of electric current through a solid propellant (almost always teflon), to produce a quick and dependable burst of impulse. PPT's are great for attitude control, and for main propulsion on particularly small spacecraft (those in the hundred-kilogram or less category). However they are also one of the least efficient electric propulsion systems, with a thrust efficiency of less than 10%.See also: Hall effect thruster, Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster, Spacecraft propulsion