If a NASA mission exploring the potential of refueling in space is successful, it will be a huge boost for xenon’s future and use in space exploration.
The potential demand for xenon is significant, with the inevitability of more space travel and nations launching satellites, especially with recent reports we are about to see a new space race emerging between the US and China.
Within the aerospace sector, xenon is used as a propellant for ion thrusters in spacecraft. An ion beam is generated by initially ionizing xenon and then using an electrical or magnetic field to accelerate the ions. Liquid oxygen, hydrogen and nitrous oxide have been used to send rockets into space along with xenon, which has a very high ionization potential, high density and low heat capacity.
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