About the project
Enable the next generation of deep-space exploration. This project will develop an electrodeless, dual-stage thruster operating at power levels above 1 MW for high-power Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP). By eliminating electrode erosion through electromagnetic plasma generation and acceleration, the project aims to deliver a long-life, high-efficiency propulsion system capable of supporting faster and more sustainable crewed missions to Mars and beyond.
Transit time remains a fundamental constraint on human interplanetary exploration. Conventional chemical and electric propulsion systems face limitations in simultaneously providing the high specific impulse, thrust density and sustained power required to reduce crew exposure to the deep-space radiation environment. This project addresses this challenge by developing a high-power, electrodeless propulsion architecture designed for integration with future nuclear power systems.
Conventional electric propulsion systems that rely on physical electrodes are subject to electrode erosion and associated lifetime and contamination constraints, particularly at high power. The proposed system adopts a dual-stage electromagnetic architecture in which plasma is generated by electromagnetic induction and subsequently accelerated using a magnetic nozzle or magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) channel. Eliminating plasma-contacting electrodes removes a key source of component degradation and enables the development of propulsion systems with improved lifetime and scalability towards the high power levels required for Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP).
The project will develop and validate a computational framework for high-power electrodeless plasma generation and acceleration, supported by a scaled experimental prototype. The research will characterise plasma generation, electromagnetic energy coupling and MHD acceleration to establish the operating conditions required for a stable, contamination-free exhaust and high-performance propulsion. These results will provide an experimentally validated basis for assessing the scalability of the architecture towards power levels exceeding 1 MW.
You will be based at the University of Southampton and will have access to high-vacuum facilities and advanced laser-based plasma diagnostics, together with specialist expertise in high-voltage engineering, plasma physics and MHD modelling. Engagement with established UK space-sector partners will provide additional industrial and systems-engineering experience.
The project will advance the foundations of high-power propulsion for sustainable, high-speed in-space transportation while developing expertise relevant to future civil space exploration and national space capabilities.
