Ion engine NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) set a new world record, having worked there continuously for 43 thousand hours during tests conducted at the Laboratory of electric propulsion systems Research center NASA Glenn. This samicoasty the engine is intended to power the future spacecraft, designed for missions to deep space and in missions where the use of engines on chemical jet-powered unacceptable for many reasons.

Development of technology of ion engines have come a long way since 1960-ies, when was created the first such engine. Instead of the energy of burning fuel, the ion engine uses electrical energy obtained from solar panels or from a nuclear source. Electric energy is used for gas ionization, in most cases, xenon, which is the working body, fuel ion engine. Jonah gas of electrically charged, accelerating and get the kinetic energy through the electrical potential applied to accelerating electrode. After that, the stream of high-energy ions are produced outside of the engine into the open space that creates an engine thrust.

The scheme ion engine is very simple and its design is simple to implement, but the number of thrust produced by this engine is just few, the engine produces cravings, equivalent to the force of pressure coins lying on the table surface. But where the ion engine gives hundred points ahead normal jet engine, so it is in efficiency. Efficiency of use of fuel ion engine is 10-12 times higher than reactive. In addition, the ion engine can operate continuously for a very long time, and the time of conventional engines tens of seconds and minutes. Thus, the ion engine, her tiny thrust of may for a long time to break up any space ship to speeds acceptable to missions in far space.

The engine NEXT is the engine of the next generation of NASA. The output power equal to seven kilowatts twice the power of the engine, installed on the spacecraft Dawn, thanks to which this spacecraft became the fastest spacecraft in the world. Engine design NEXT simpler, and the engine is very easy, effective, possesses a huge resource and supply reliability.

The record time of continuous operation of the engine NEXT is 43 thousand hours, which is equivalent to almost five years. For all this time the engine has spent a total of 770 kg of fuel, xenon. Working in the space, the engine NEXT to 43 thousand hours could provide 30 million Newton-seconds pulse, which will cause the spacecraft decent enough size to fly at very high speed and very far into space.