ION PARTICLE ENGINE

Ion propulsion is a technology that involves ionizing a gas to propel a craft.  Instead of a spacecraft being propelled with standard chemicals, gas like xenon (which is like neon or helium, but heavier) is given an electrical charge, or ionized.  It is then accelerated electrically via the use of a magnetic field, to a speed of about 30 km/second. When ions are emitted at such high speed as exhaust from a spacecraft, they push the spacecraft in the opposite direction.

Ion engine technology has existed on earth since the mid 20th century, but was not seriously used until the early/mid 21st century due to testing and the need for a stable power source.  One of the first Ion engine to be used on a space vessel was back in the year 1998.  NASA tested this Ion engine on April 30th 1996, at the NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. It was a simple solar powered xenon ion engine, and proved that Ion engine technology could be a viable replacement for primitive and less efficient chemical engines.

Ion propulsion is far more propellant efficient than either plasma or chemical propulsion, because it expels molecules from the engine at a much higher speed.  A chemical propulsion engine has an exhaust velocity of 10,400 miles per hour while ion propulsion exhaust is 70,200 miles per hour or greater.  Ion engines are very stable, fuel efficient, and quite powerful.  Their stability and high endurance make them the sub-light engine of choice for most of the younger races.

The last revolution in Ion propulsion technology took place in the early 22nd century, when Paul Beigle-Bryant of "Leading Engines Corp." developed what would become the standard engine design used on all EarthForce starships - the 9000-A particle thrust engine.  The principles of the BB9K are the primary design basis for all major engine designs used on Earth vessels, as well as many other races in the cosmos.

Unlike the classic Ion engine designs, the BB9K type engine can accelerate particles to speed close to that of light, in order to create thrust.  Paul Beigle-Bryant achieved this high velocity of thrust by adding an additional stage to Ion propulsion system and revolutionized the field.

Unlike normal Ion engines, which only use electron bombardment and magnetic field to accelerate charged particles to a speed of 70,200 miles, the BB9K type engine filters the positively charged atoms into a "Particle Accelerator."  Here the Ions are accelerated to a velocity near that of light.  When these particles are expelled, they can provide a starship with over 20 times the thrust of a normal Ion engine.

Until Paul Beigle-Bryant, Ion engines were renowned for their high stability, and low rate of acceleration.  Now they were not only efficient and stable, but also Ion propulsion finally had the one key element they'd always been missing - the ability to provide a starship with a high rate of acceleration.