Historical Review and Insights into the Development of Ion Electric Propulsion（Ⅰ）

As one of the most representative technologies in the aerospace, ion electric propulsion has been widely used for the north-south station keeping and the orbit transfer missions. Compared to other propulsions, ion electric propulsion is characteristics of a high specific impulse, small thrust, continuous thrust adjustment, and long lifetime; therefore, it could significantly improve the effective payload and remarkably reduce the launch cost of the satellite. Because of this higher specific impulse, ion electric propulsion has become the most optimum propulsion system for the long distance deep space explorations to keep north-south station of satellite and transfer its orbit.Actually, reviewing and concluding its theoretical researches, product development and engineering applications could not only help researches to trace back to its histories from original concept to engineering services, but also provide insight into and help to quickly develop of this ion electric propulsion technology. This paper comprehensively introduces the development of this technology by symmetrically reviewing its histories and timely concluding the successful experience and failure lessons to provide valuable references for the future development of the ion electric propulsion. Firstly, this paper introduces the development histories of the ion electric propulsion all over the word from following five aspects, early concept, initial, middle, contemporary and innovational developments, including its technology researches, product development, engineering applications. After that, the long developmental histories from the initial concept to the last engineering applications are divided into five parts for systematically summarize the engineering successful experience and failure lessons. Lastly, the enlightenment of the future development of ion electric propulsion is concluded from seven aspects, including correct understanding of ion-electric propulsion.