Abstract: With the development of micro/nano-satellite platform in recent years,the application of Vacuum Arc Thruster(VAT) as the main thrust source for attitude control and orbital maneuver gains attention of researchers.Compared with traditional cold-gas engine and ion thruster propulsion,VAT has many advantages,such as,miniaturization,low power consumption,low voltage,high efficiency,high specific impulse,wide range regulable,low cost,long lifetime and high reliability.This paper reviewed on the abroad technical development of VAT and presented VAT's system composition,basic theory,physical process and key technologies.The VAT's technical characteristics,research progresses and development tendency were also analyzed,which would serve the technical research and system development of VAT in the future.