Abstract

An air-breathing electric propulsion system (RAM-EP) ingests the air of the residual atmosphere through a mechanical intake and uses it as propellant for an electric thruster. A system analysis is shown within this work to derive the main design drivers for a RAM-EP mission application. The small-scale inductive plasma generator IPG6-S of the University of Stuttgart is continually improved, and is used as a test bed for a RAM-EP system using an IPG source.