Iodine Propellant for Electric Propulsion To Be Or Not To Be.

In the paper some of condensable potential propellants for Hall thrusters are considered. Such thrusters can be used as perspective high power propulsion system for the Mars mission , for example. On the assumption of such criteria as: TAL efficiency ensuring, propellant availability, ground testing costs reducing, features of impact of condensable propellants on space craft possibility of different propellants use is considered. In comparison one of base option is used Lithium MPD, which have been designed for the megawatt level high power electric thrust module. It is shown that application of iodine, cadmium and bismuth as a propellant for the Hall thrusters may become real alternative for a lithium MPD.