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Electric Propulsion Lab
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The lab studies electric propulsion, which uses the power of plasma to drive spacecraft.
AboutAbout the lab
Plasma-powered engines to take spacecraft into space
The Electric Propulsion Lab studies propulsion technology that uses plasma to drive spacecraft.
The lab brought microwave ion engines into practical use and achieved an asteroid sample return with the asteroid explorer Hayabusa.
Currently, the lab is conducting research on the operation of Hayabusa2 and for future missions such as the asteroid explorer DESTINY+.
The lab also works on the related plasma physics, measurement techniques, and ground-based applications.
Key terms
- Plasma
- A state in which the atoms of a gas separate into electrons and ions, making it electrically conductive
- Ion engine
- An engine that accelerates ions extracted from plasma using electric force and ejects them to produce thrust
- Very low Earth orbit
- An orbit lower than that of ordinary satellites, at an altitude where a thin atmosphere remains. Satellites there are continuously subject to atmospheric drag
NewsLab news
Assistant Professor Yamashita selected for the Early Career Collection of Physics of Plasmas
Professor Nishiyama named one of the "World's Top 2% Scientists"
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies plasma-based propulsion systems for spacecraft (electric propulsion), working both to improve their performance and to clarify the physics occurring inside them. It is also conducting research on the operation of Hayabusa2 and on future exploration missions.
*Illustrative imageMicrowave Ion Engine
The lab investigates the interior of the main engines of Hayabusa and Hayabusa2 through experiments and numerical simulation, working to improve their performance and to evaluate the lifetime of the entire system, including onboard components.
*Illustrative imagePlasma Diagnostics
The lab works on laser-based measurement that examines plasma without disturbing it while the engine is running. Currently, it is taking on the challenge of detecting high-energy ions generated by plasma fluctuations.
*Illustrative imageAir-Breathing Ion Engine
For satellites orbiting in very low Earth orbit, the lab studies engines that take in the thin surrounding atmosphere and use it as propellant. Ignition and thrust are verified through experiments, and the internal flow is examined with numerical simulation.
*Illustrative imageIonic Liquid Electrospray Thruster
This is a propulsion system for microsatellites that applies a high voltage to a salt that is liquid at room temperature (an ionic liquid) to eject ions. The lab is advancing prototyping and performance evaluation jointly with a lab at Yokohama National University, aiming for demonstration in space.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Electric Propulsion Lab include faculty, technical advisors, secretaries, development staff, and doctoral and master's students.As of 2026
- ProfessorKazutaka Nishiyama
- Associate ProfessorRyudo Tsukizaki
- Assistant ProfessorYusuke Yamashita
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Ion Engine Test Firing - GPN” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Microwave Ion Engine: “Hayabusa2 and Earth” DLR German Aerospace Center / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Plasma Diagnostics: “The Engine Burns Blue” NASA/JPL-Caltech / Public domain (cropped)
- Air-Breathing Ion Engine: “GOCE scale ) (cropped)” DLR German Aerospace Center / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Ionic Liquid Electrospray Thruster: “Colloid thruster” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Himeno Lab): “Compressor case from turbojet” Olivier Cleynen / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Komurasaki-Koizumi Lab): “Hall Effect Thruster in a vacuum chamber” EXOTRAIL SA / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Tsue-Nakaya Lab): “Combustion research ( )” Oak Ridge National Laboratory / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Astrodynamics and Space Systems Lab): “Hayabusa2 approaching asteroid” DLR German Aerospace Center / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
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