Kurilovich

The authors consider a possibility of using a Hall Effect thruster working with an ambient atmospheric gas for orbital station-keeping. Relation between thrust and atmospheric drag force was obtained. It was shown that there is a critical value of accelerating voltage which provides equality of thrust and air drag force. Relation between this critical accelerating voltage and spacecraft velocity, as well as relation between thrust efficiency and the ratio of air intake area to the spacecraft's area, were obtained. Basic ways of improving efficiency of the air breathing Hall Effect thruster were proposed.