A Chinese satellite engineer has announced the county's plan to have its first satellite launch using electric propulsion by the year 2020.

Asia One quoted Wang Min, a satellite designer from the Chinese space academy, who said that Chinese space propulsion technology is catching up with other countries and regions such as the U.S. Russian Federation, Japan, and the European Union.  He also announced the academy's plan to launch a communication satellite that uses electric propulsion probably in the year 2020.  Wang further envisions a Chinese space station using electric propulsion technology. 

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Electric propulsion technology is quite new and only a handful of countries have mastered it.  It is also considered the cheapest option yet for sending people to outer space, according to Aerospace Technology.

The United State's space agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has concluded that electric propulsion can cut the energy requirement for space launch by 500 percent.  The cost of launching a satellite into space can also be reduced by at least 30 percent, according to GB Times.

To successfully launch a two-ton satellite would require at least three tons of chemical fuel.  In contrast, that same satellite can be launched using electric propulsion with only about 300 kilos of fuel.  

Satellites launched with electric propulsion are expected to last longer while in orbit.  It could potentially make the satellite lighter as opposed to those using conventional fuel.  Engineers can also put more equipment inside the satellite since an electric propulsion system does not take as much space.  An electric-propelled powered satellite can be launched by smaller rockets then chemically propelled satellites.  However, conventional chemical propulsion systems deliver more thrust than electrically powered satellites. 

Over 50 satellites using electric propulsion systems have been launched in the last 55 years.

In 2012, China launched a pair of satellites to test a number of electric propulsion prototypes. China National Space Administration hopes to launch a hybrid electric version propulsion system by late 2016 or early 2017. 

China's space agency currently has electric thrusters with a 5-kilowatt capacity.  Come 2020, China hopes to a have one that has a 50-kilowatt capacity.

TagsChinese sattelite, NASA, Wang Min, China Electric Propulsion Satellites, Electrically Propelled Satellites