About the project
Launch the next era of space exploration. This project develops a revolutionary over 500kW electrodeless dual-stage thruster for high-power Nuclear Electric Propulsion. By replacing eroding electrodes with electromagnetic acceleration, you will design a long-life, high-efficiency system capable of faster, more sustainable, and secure human missions to Mars and beyond.
The transit bottleneck remains a primary constraint on human interplanetary exploration. Current chemical and electrical propulsion technologies lack the sustained high-power thrust necessary to minimise crew exposure to deep-space radiation through shortened transit times.
This project addresses this critical limitation by developing a high-power, electrodeless architecture specifically engineered for integration with future nuclear power sources.
While conventional electric propulsion (EP) relies on physical electrodes that inevitably erode under high-current operation, the proposed system utilises a dual-stage electromagnetic approach. Plasma is generated through electromagnetic induction and accelerated via a magnetic nozzle or MHD channel. By eliminating the dominant failure mechanism of electrode ablation, this design enables the extreme operational longevity and power scalability essential for next-generation Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) missions.
The project will deliver a validated computational framework for high-power electrodeless acceleration combined with a scaled experimental prototype. Research will demonstrate the system's capacity to sustain a contamination-free plasma exhaust, ensuring high-fidelity performance characterised by high thrust density and superior specific impulse (Isp). Characterising this electromagnetic coupling at scale will establish the feasibility of this architecture for long-duration, high-efficiency space propulsion.
Based at the University of Southampton, the candidate will access high-vacuum facilities and advanced laser-based plasma diagnostics. Engaging with established UK space sector partners, the researcher will receive specialist training in high-voltage engineering and magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) modelling. The project supports sustainable, high-speed in-space transportation while building expertise critical to both civil exploration and national space security.
