Beaming Up to Vesta

摘要

The ion engines that powered Dawn 1.7 billion miles to Vesta were once confined to science fiction (see the iconic Twin Ion Engine [TIE] fighters from Star Wars). But recently the technology has matured to the point where it can be used for real interplanetary voyages. A handful of ion-propelled spacecraft have been launched in the past decade. Dawn is by far the most ambitious.