> Although this test campaign was not focused on optimizing performance and was more an exercise in existence proof, it is still useful to put the observed thru

> Although this test campaign was not focused on optimizing performance and was more an exercise in existence proof, it is still useful to put the observed thrust-to-power figure of 1.2mN/kW1.2  mN/kW in context. The current state-of–the-art thrust to power for a Hall thruster is on the order of 60mN/kW60  mN/kW. This is an order of magnitude higher than the test article evaluated during the course of this vacuum campaign; however, for missions with very large delta-v requirements, having a propellant consumption rate of zero could offset the higher power requirements. The 1.2mN/kW1.2  mN/kW performance parameter is over two orders of magnitude higher than other forms of “zero-propellant” propulsion, such as light sails, laser propulsion, and photon rockets having thrust-to-power levels in the 3.33–6.67μN/kW3.33–6.67  μN/kW (or 0.0033–0.0067mN/kW0.0033–0.0067  mN/kW) range. Read More: http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/full/10.2514/1.B36120#_i36 http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/full/10.2514/1.B36120#_i36