Colloid thruster

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/colloid-thruster

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the propulsion technology?Electric propulsion utilizing electrostatic acceleration of charged liquid droplets
2. What is the propellant composition?Primarily low-volatility ionic liquids, chosen for their conductivity and negligible vapor pressure
3. What is a colloid thruster and how does it work?A colloid thruster, also called an electrospray thruster, is a tiny electric engine that makes very small charged droplets of liquid and shoots them out to push a spacecraft very gently. The liquid is sprayed into tiny droplets by a strong electric field, then a second electric field speeds them up and they leave the thruster, creating thrust.
4. Why do colloid thrusters use ionic liquids as propellant?Ionic liquids are used because they hardly evaporate in space and they conduct electricity, which helps make and move the charged droplets. Their low vapor pressure keeps the propellant safe and long‑lasting.

Electrostatic Acceleration: Using electric fields to speed up charged particles or droplets.
Ionic Liquid: A salt in liquid form at relatively low temperatures, composed entirely of ions.
Thrust Density: The amount of thrust produced per unit area of the thruster's exit.